Jun 16, 2019
Trump says he read Mueller report, falsely claims it found "no collusion"
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In an exclusive interview with ABC News, President Trump told George Stephanopoulos that he read the Mueller report, but falsely claimed that it found there was "no collusion" between his campaign and Russia.
TRUMP: "He found no collusion, and he didn't find anything to do with obstruction because they made a ruling based on his findings and they said no obstruction.
STEPHANOPOULOS: "He didn't examine collusion, he laid out evidence of obstruction."
TRUMP: "Oh are you trying to say now there was collusion? Even though he said there is 'no collusion?'"
STEPHANOPOULOS: "He didn't say there is no collusion. He said he didn't look at collusion."
TRUMP: "George, the report said 'no collusion.'"
STEPHANOPOULOS: "Did you read the report?"
TRUMP: "Yes I did, and you should read it too."
Reality check, from the Mueller report:
In evaluating whether evidence about collective action of multiple individuals constituted a crime, we applied the framework of conspiracy law, not the concept of "collusion." In so doing, the Office recognized that the word "collud[ e]" was used in communications with the Acting Attorney General confirming certain aspects of the investigation's scope and that the term has frequently been invoked in public reporting about the investigation. But collusion is not a specific offense or theory of liability found in the United States Code, nor is it a term of art in federal criminal law.
