President Trump denied Monday that he colluded with Russia during the presidential election — calling the allegations “made up” by Democrats and “FAKE NEWS.”
“James Clapper and others stated that there is no evidence Potus colluded with Russia. This story is FAKE NEWS and everyone knows it!” Trump said, referring to statements made two weeks ago by the former director of national intelligence during the Obama years.
He added, “The Democrats made up and pushed the Russian story as an excuse for running a terrible campaign. Big advantage in Electoral College & lost!”
The former top spy told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on March 5, “We had no evidence of such collusion.”
Trump’s tweet comes the same day as the House Intelligence Committee holds its first public hearing on Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election.
FBI Director James Comey and NSA Director Mike Rogers will testify on the issue at 10 a.m. Monday on Capitol Hill. They’ll also be asked about allegations Trump made that President Obama tapped Trump Tower during the 2016 election.
On Sunday, the top Democrat on the intel committee, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California), claimed, contrary to Clapper, that there is evidence of collusion.
“I was surprised to see Director Clapper say that because I don’t think you can make that claim categorically as he did. I would characterize it this way at the outset of the investigation: There is circumstantial evidence of collusion. There is direct evidence, I think, of deception and that’s where we begin the investigation,” Schiff said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“There is certainly enough for us to conduct an investigation,” he added.