National

OnPolitics Today: Putin in the White House

President Trump fanned flames of backlash from his widely panned meeting with Vladimir Putin on Thursday by doing the opposite of damage control: The White House announced plans for the Russian president to visit Washington this fall, a follow-up to this week's Helsinki summit aimed at "ongoing working dialogue" on security matters.

It's just one indication that the Trump-Putin frenzy isn't going anywhere. Expect congressional hearings, news leaks and perhaps a turn in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation tied to Russia and Trump. Here's why.

And expect this Time magazine cover to hit newsstands this month, featuring a Trump-Putin mashup suggesting the pair's closeness that can only be described as pure nightmare fuel.

This is OnPolitics Today: Subscribe here.

Not The Onion: Putin warns of divisive 'forces' in U.S.

Heads up, everyone: Putin warned cryptically Thursday about "forces in the United States" that would seek to sow division "for the sake of their ambitions" and political gain. Never mind that top U.S. intelligence officials all concluded that Russian government actors have sought to sow division in the U.S. by masquerading as Americans and targeting governments.

Despite that, Trump claimed it was journalists who are "the real enemy of the people," calling his time with Putin "a great success." Democrats disagree: Some want Trump's interpreter to testify about what she heard during Trump's closed meeting with Putin. Meanwhile, the Senate in a 98-0 vote favored a measure claiming the U.S. should not let former officials be questioned by Russia — part of a proposal Putin made to Trump, which the White House on Thursday declined.

The man used by an accused Russian agent lives in ... South Dakota? 

A 56-year-old South Dakota man lived with accused Russian agent Maria Butina, connecting the 29-year-old with the National Rifle Association before she was charged with using sex and deception to develop influential connections. That man, Paul Erickson, began working with Butina as early as 2013. He visited Moscow that year to meet with a pro-gun group represented by Butina. The two formed a company together in 2016, the purpose of which wasn't immediately clear. What is known: Erickson kept a residence in Washington, D.C., and allegedly boasted a Rolodex with some of the biggest names in conservative politics, connections that came in handy for the alleged Russian operative. Here's what we know about Butina.

Elsewhere in politics