Washington - The Director of National Intelligence is restating the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment that Russia meddled in the 2016 election following a press conference where President Donald Trump openly questioned that conclusion.

Dan Coats said Monday that the U.S. intelligence community’s role is to provide “the best information and fact-based assessments possible for the president and policymakers.”

He added: “We have been clear in our assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and their ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy, and we will continue to provide unvarnished and objective intelligence in support of our national security.”

After meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday, Trump said that he had “great confidence” in U.S. intelligence but that Putin’s denial of election meddling was “extremely strong and powerful.”