Garry Kasparov says Trump’s ‘pathetic display’ in Helsinki proves he's 'Putin's poodle'

Chess champion Garry Kasparov denounced President Donald Trump's statements as a "sick joke" after his joint news conference with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The high-profile Putin critic accused Trump of selling out U.S. interests in pursuit of some secret agreement with his Russian counterpart during their private, one-on-one meeting in Helsinki.

"The clearest message from this pathetic display is that Trump doesn't represent America, much like Putin doesn't represent Russia. And he just spent two hours alone with a KGB agent," Kasparov tweeted.

Kasparov said Putin had long sought "bilateral equality" with the U.S. despite his human rights abuses and aggression against former Soviet states, and he said Trump gave the Russian president all that and more.

"That Trump not only allows this, but happily defends the dictator who recently ordered a Russian military intelligence unit to attack the USA, is either an overwhelming display of weakness or treason," he tweeted.

"Trump hits Obama for not stopping Putin's attacks on the US," he added. "He hits Merkel for making a pipeline deal with Putin. But next to Putin himself, he won't say anything. Is he wearing a tie or a leash? #PutinsPoodle"

Putin offered to "help" the special counsel investigation of Russian election interference that both he and Trump deny, and he asked the U.S. president to help undo sanctions under the Magnitsky Act and to go after billionaire investor Bill Browder -- who helped get the anti-Kremlin law enacted.

"Trump's 'We're all to blame' says it all," Kasparov tweeted. "Attacking his own administration and flattering Putin. America First? A sick joke. Where are Trump's supporters right now? Where are you? You fools and enablers selling out your country and the world for this traitor?"

"I'm ready to call this the darkest hour in the history of the American presidency," he added. "Let me know if you can think of any competition."