(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump has found a point of agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller: Russia’s meddling campaign worked, as far as creating chaos in America’s political system.
“If it was the GOAL of Russia to create discord, disruption and chaos within the U.S. then, with all of the Committee Hearings, Investigations and Party hatred, they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams,” Trump said in a tweet Sunday.
“They are laughing their asses off in Moscow. Get smart America!”
Trump previously questioned whether Russia was behind efforts to meddle in U.S. elections, something he repeated in another tweet Sunday referencing a comment during the 2016 campaign that others may be responsible. He also previously said he accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s denials of any election interference.
“I never said Russia did not meddle in the election, I said ‘it may be Russia, or China or another country or group, or it may be a 400 pound genius sitting in bed and playing with his computer,’” Trump said in the tweet. “The Russian ‘hoax’ was that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia — it never did!”
U.S. National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said on Saturday the evidence of Russian interference is “incontrovertible,” after Mueller’s charges on Friday against 13 Russian nationals and a St. Petersburg-based “troll farm.” That drew a rebuke from Trump on Twitter that his aide had neglected to defend the integrity of his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton.
