President Trump tweeted that one of the groups that was indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller was created before his run for president, seeking to downplay an investigation into his campaign’s ties with Russian officials that has gripped news headlines over the past year.
Trump was referring to indictments Friday filed by Mueller against 13 Russian nationals and three groups for allegedly interfering with the 2016 presidential election.
“Funny how the Fake News Media doesn’t want to say that the Russian group was formed in 2014, long before my run for President,” Trump tweeted Saturday. “Maybe they knew I was going to run even though I didn’t know!”
Funny how the Fake News Media doesn’t want to say that the Russian group was formed in 2014, long before my run for President. Maybe they knew I was going to run even though I didn’t know!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2018
Trump appeared to be referring to the Russian group listed in the indictment as the Internet Research Agency, which started in 2014 to interfere with the U.S.
The indictment said that the attempt to interfere with the 2016 election began in May 2014.
Trump has noted that the organization’s origin came before he started running for president in June 2015.
Amid a flurry of tweets, Trump tweeted that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said at a news conference there was “no allegation in the indictment that any American was a knowing participant in this illegal activity.”
Rosenstein added there was no “allegation” in the indictment that the conduct altered the outcome of the 2016 election race.
Deputy A.G. Rod Rosenstein stated at the News Conference: “There is no allegation in the indictment that any American was a knowing participant in this illegal activity. There is no allegation in the indictment that the charged conduct altered the outcome of the 2016 election.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2018
Trump also touted a column in the New York Post that said the indictments prove there is no collusion with the Trump campaign.
“Charges Deal Don A Big Win,” written by Michael Goodwin of the @nypost, succinctly states that “the Russians had no impact on the election results.” There was no Collusion with the Trump Campaign. “She lost the old-fashioned way, by being a terrible candidate. Case closed.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2018
Mueller’s probe is also looking into whether there was collusion between Russia and Trump campaign officials to undermine the Democratic campaign of Hillary Clinton. The Mueller team has not yet finished its investigation.
