Presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway took to television on Sunday, August 5, to explain President Donald Trump's repeated questioning of the fact that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections, which ultimately resulted in Trump's rise to power. Every U.S. intelligence agency has confirmed that Russia meddled in our elections, and is interfering once again in the lead-up to the 2018 midterms, and yet President Trump continues to reference a "Russian hoax" on Twitter while taking no action to stymie Putin's ambitions.
What, one might wonder, could Kellyanne Conway possibly say to absolve the President this time?
Well, to hear Conway speak of the situation, it turns out President Trump is pretty blameless. Who should have dealt with this? President Obama!
This argument isn't a new one from the Trump team:
Oh, except that President Obama DID deal with Russian meddling. When it was discovered, Obama's administration passed harsh sanctions against Russia and made the public aware of their findings in a press release. At that time, it was now-President Trump publically questioning the widespread interference, and Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell who refused to sign on to a full-throated warning to the American people.
Even if President Obama had failed to take any action, it wouldn't excuse the Trump administration from dealing with Russia's continued interference.
A new bill has been circulating through Congress, but it's been unclear whether or not President Trump will be willing to sign it, even while he chides former administrations for coddling Russia.
Fortunately, Twitter seems to remember what the truth is.
It seems Conway's claims are somewhat short of the truth.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Ronald Grump the Muppet in 1988; Joe Pesci as Ronald Grump in 1994; Donald Grump in 2005PBS
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