Following Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s release of indictments against 13 Russians for meddling in the American elections of 2016, Trump stated that it still does not prove that he colluded in the saga. Despite concluding that Russia meddled in the elections, Mueller is still conducting an investigation into whether Trump was involved with the Russian group which may have influenced his presidential win.
The indictments carried information that three Russian companies and 13 Russian nationals created social media accounts using American computer servers to hide their origin and use the accounts as Americans to spread propaganda that may have influenced the outcome of the 2016 elections.
Trump’s position on the Russian Probe
The Russian probe poses a great risk to Trump’s presidency. If there exists any implication that he colluded with the Russian team he stands to lose his position as President and undergo prosecution. The vivid nightmare is something the President has tried to escape but is still on the hook. One of his attempts was when he declassified and released the Republican memo which he hoped would vindicate him from being a key subject of interest in the inquiry. The Republican memo alleged that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Justice Department colluded to misuse their surveillance tools to implicate the President.
President Donald Trump had initially pushed back on the notion of Russia’s meddling in the election. He dismissed the claims as a hoax geared towards discrediting the legitimacy of his presidential victory.
Trump’s Administration reaction to the Indictments
Robert Mueller’s office unveiled a 37-page document revealing the detailed involvement of Russians in the elections and the possible part it played to benefit Trump’s election run. Trump’s immediate reaction was to tweet that Russia had started their anti-US campaign in 2014 way before he had even announced his candidacy. He added that the results of the 2016 elections were not impacted by the exercise and his campaign team did not collude with the Russians.
Trump’s team stated that efforts to graft discord among Americans also benefitted Bernie Sanders. Trump asserted that the indictment already proved what he had previously said; that there was no collusion between the Russians and his campaigns.
Trump cheered vindication on Friday, a move that suggested the contrary as Trump’s administration is still worried about the direction Mueller’s 9-month investigations is taking. The probe has not indicated any signs of abating but has expanded to explore possible obstruction of justice by Trump and his top aides.
