Trump: Putin is "very insulted" by accusations of election meddling

President Trump on Air Force One, when asked by reporters on Air Force One whether he spoke with Vladimir Putin about Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election:

"He said he didn't meddle. He said he didn't meddle. I asked him again. You can only ask so many times. I just asked him again. He said he absolutely did not meddle in our election. He did not do what they are saying he did... Every time he sees me he says, 'I didn't do that,' and I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it. I think he is very insulted by it, which is not a good thing for our country."

Why it matters: U.S. intelligence agencies disagree with Putin, and have reached a broad consensus that Russia worked to meddle in the presidential election.

Go deeper: Read the full transcript.