White House staffers are 'just depressed' after Trump's performance in Helsinki

President Trump's White House is not known for particularly high morale, but this week has brought things to new lows.

Staffers are reportedly looking toward the exits now that Trump's joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin has created such a sharp political backlash, Politico reported Thursday.

"People are just depressed," a Republican close to the White House said. "Nobody wants to take on the public heat of resigning right now, but there are a bunch of people who were thinking maybe they'd leave after the midterms who are very seriously starting to consider accelerating their timetable."

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Trump has drawn criticism over his flip-flopping views on whether Russia is responsible for interference in the 2016 election. Democrats and Republicans alike condemned his failure to side with the U.S. intelligence community, and ridiculed his explanation that he had simply slipped up while using a double negative. While high-level officials are reportedly unlikely to resign, aides and holdover staffers may be looking to put in their two-weeks notice. Read more at Politico.

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.