Article snippet: The TAKE with Rick Klein Of all the strange journeys President Donald Trump has taken the Republican Party on, the Russia detour may be the oddest -- and the most dangerous. It's long perplexed even members of Trump's inner circle why the president can't seem to bring himself to criticize Vladimir Putin and his regime. The political and geopolitical signs point him in one clear direction, yet he swerves amid the mere hint that he didn't win the election entirely on his own merits. Now, another day of messaging confusion after two consecutive days where the official word was that Trump was misunderstood because of a stray or missing syllable. The White House is asking its allies to trust the president's word. But if the integrity of the nation's elections is being undermined, with nationwide voting barely 100 days away, Trump isn't talking or acting that way. The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks If the commander in chief thought there was a real threat from Russia or anywhere, wouldn't he or she act on it? Move resources and manpower to address it? That assumption is at the heart of the conundrum this week. What next after the president's statements, misstatements, do-overs and slips of the tongue over the last few days? His saying "no" when asked if Russia "is still targeting the U.S." only to have his staff say, twice in one week, he meant something else? Looking at it all, you're left wondering: If the president were really concerned about this, h... Link to the full article to read more