Three guesses how Donald Trump thought his "summit" with Vladimir Putin went:
Immediately after his news conference, Trump's mood was buoyant, people familiar with the matter said. He walked off stage in Helsinki with little inkling his remarks would cause the firestorm they did, and was instead enthusiastic about what he felt was a successful summit.
After all, he, Donald Trump, did it, so it must have gone well. He shows the world how weak he is, he thinks he looks strong. He demonstrates his eagerness to collude with Russia, he thinks he’s showing how well he handles world leaders … just days after his disastrous NATO meetings.
But the protective bubble of Trump’s ego couldn’t seal out the response to his press conference:
By the time he'd returned to the White House just before 10 p.m. ET on Monday, however, his mood had soured. Predictably, the President was upset when he saw negative coverage of the summit airing on television aboard Air Force One. It was clear he was getting little support, even from the usual places.
Now he’s Grumpy Trumpy, and the White House is circulating talking points to congressional Republicans, trying to cobble up a defense. But while Republicans are circling the wagons as best they can, Trump gave them quite a challenge with his performance Monday.