Schiff: Trump's Russia comments 'directly undermine U.S. interests'

© Greg Nash

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) criticized President Trump on Thursday for comments that raised questions about Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential race.

Trump said at a press conference in Poland earlier on Thursday that he thinks Russia and "people in other countries" likely meddled in the presidential election, but "nobody really knows."

Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Trump's comments "continue to directly undermine U.S. interests."

"This is not putting America first, but continuing to propagate his own personal fiction at the country's expense," Schiff said in a statement.

He added that Trump needs to have the "courage" to bring up the Russia's interference in the U.S. election with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Otherwise the Kremlin will conclude he is too weak to stand up to them," Schiff said.

"That would be a historic mistake, with damaging implications for our foreign policy for years to come."

Schiff also called for Trump to confront Russia over its "continued destabilization of Ukraine, and the illegal annexation and continued occupation of Crimea and parts of Georgia."

"He should make it clear that the U.S. is not going to make common cause with Russia in propping up Bashar al-Assad in Syria, nor turn a blind eye to any potential Russian support of the Taliban or increased trade with North Korea," Schiff said in the statement.

Trump in the past has decried the investigations into the Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race, including possible collusion between his campaign and Moscow, calling the probes a "witch hunt."