After more than a year of insisting that Russia did not attempt to interfere in the presidential election of 2016, Trump is finally ready to admit that they did, but with a caveat…that just happens to absolve him of any wrongdoing. That caveat, unfortunately for Trump, is incredibly misleading.
Thanks to an indictment by Robert Mueller of 13 people and 3 Russian agencies, the country know now the exact methods used to meddle in the 2016 presidential elections. Trump is only ready to admit that Russia interfered in the U.S. elections on the condition that everyone acknowledge the piece of the indictment that says the plan to interfere began before Trump announced his plan to run for president.
There’s a significant problem with Trump’s statement here.
The truth is that Trump didn’t announce to the American public that he would run for president until June 2015, but that is far after he began making a strategic plan for his candidacy. The earliest known date that Trump began meeting with GOP operatives to begin planning strategy was December 2013, well before the Russian hackers began working their social media campaigns. Trump isn’t absolved by the indictment; the timing falls right in line.
It is interesting, however, that Trump is finally ready to admit that Russian involvement in the 2016 elections is more than “fake news.” In any other year, with any other president, the fact that Trump just completely negated his own repeated statements involving the election interference would be the headline on every news story.
‘I don’t think that anybody knows that it was Russia…it could also be China. Could also be lots of other people. Could also be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds, okay?’
‘He said he absolutely did not meddle in our election…I really believe when he tells me that. He means it.’
Twitter had some of their own thoughts on Trump’s tweet. See some of their responses below:
Featured image via Getty/Win McNamee
