Long On Conspiracy Theories, Short On Facts

Democrats Have Pushed Conspiracy Theories And False Allegations About The Russia Investigation, Despite A Lack Of Any Evidence Of Collusion 

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TOP TAKEAWAYS

• Hillary Clinton was called out by MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell for "drawing conspiracy theories" about any alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
• Democrats have been tripping over themselves, starting even before Inauguration Day, in an attempt to discredit President Trump by making allegations that are not backed up by the facts.
• However, several intelligence officials have gone on record saying they've seen no hard evidence of collusion between President Trump and the Russians.
• Senators from both parties have stated repeatedly that they've seen no evidence supporting claims of collusion between Trump and the Russians.

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DEMOCRATS HAVE ENGAGED IN CONSPIRACY THEORIES IN AN EFFORT TO SCORE POLITICAL POINTS AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP

Hillary Clinton Was Recently Called Out By MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell For "Drawing A Conspiracy Theory"

NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Andrea Mitchell Stated That Hillary Clinton Was "Drawing A Conspiracy Theory" About Any Russian Collusion That Aided In Her Loss Of The Presidential Candidacy. ARI MELBER: "Joining me now, I'm very happy to say is Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent, the host of NBC's 'Andrea Mitchell Reports' and a long-time reporter and chronicler of the Clintons. Your impression of what we heard today and how it differed, if at all, from past Hillary Clinton statements." ANDREA MITCHELL: "Well, she first of all really drilled down on the fake news, the role of Infowars, and said that it was very clear to her that there were Americans directing and colluding, conspiring really with the Russian hackers with the others who were involved in the hacking in the dropping of WikiLeaks only an hour after the 'Access Hollywood' tape was disclosed and saying that they were doing so with such political sophistication. She is basically pointing to the Trump campaign saying that the dots are now being connected in the investigation. She mentioned Jared Kushner. She mentioned Bannon and Kellyanne Conway in the context of the fact that the Mercers, the big fundraisers who contribute to the campaign and owned Cambridge Analytics had said to Trump bring on Bannon from Breitbart, bring on Kellyanne Conway who are already on their payroll as part of a deal, and that they connected with the data bank and the RNC. So she is drawing a conspiracy theory. She doesn't have the evidence, but she is obviously hoping that this is what Robert Mueller and the congressional committee is going to do." (MSNBC's, "The Rachel Maddow Show," 5/31/17)

At A Conference Hosted By Recode, Secretary Hillary Clinton Outlined All The Factors That Caused Her Election Loss To Donald Trump. "At a conference hosted by Recode, Mrs. Clinton said, 'I take responsibility for every decision I make - but that's not why I lost.' The real reasons for her defeat include, but are not limited to: FBI Director James Comey's handling of the investigation into her email server, the institutional ineptitude of the DNC, Facebook, Macedonian 'fake news' websites, real news (in the form of unfair coverage from The New York Times and other mainstream outlets), voter suppression in Wisconsin, low-information voters, the billionaire Mercer family and the deep-seated sexism of the American people." (Jonah Goldberg, "Hillary Clinton Blames America First," The Chicago Tribune , 6/5/17)

Hillary Clinton Said At The Conference That The Russians "Weaponized" Her Emails In Effort To Assist The Trump Campaign. SEC. HILLARY CLINTON: "You know, just the stuff that is so common, basic. Within one hour they dumped them, and then they began to weaponize them. And they began to have some of their allies within the internet world, like Infowars, take out pieces and begin to say the most outrageous, outlandish, absurd lies you could imagine. And so they had to be ready for that, and they had to have a plan for that, and they had to be given the go ahead. 'Okay, this could be the end of the Trump campaign, dump it now. And then let's do everything we can to weaponize it.' And we know it hurt us. Because as I explain in my book, you know, the Comey letter, which was, now we know, partly based on a false memo from the Russians. It was a classic piece of Russian disinformation - 'comprimat' they call it. So, for whatever reason, and I speculate, but I can't look inside the guy's mind, you know, he dumps that on me on October 28th, and I immediately start falling. But what was really interesting, since the mainstream media covered that, as I say like Pearl Harbor, front pages everywhere, huge type, et cetera." (Hillary Clinton, "Remarks At Recode Conference," 5/31/17)

Rep. Waters Admitted There Is No Evidence, But Once She Is Able To "Connect The Dots," She Will Find Collusion Between The Trump Campaign And Russia

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) Said That Once She Is Able To "Connect The Dots" She Will Find That President Trump Should Be Impeached, Despite Admitting There Is No Evidence Yet. "Rep. Maxine Waters said once we're able to 'connect the dots' with Russian collusion, Trump will be impeachable. Waters acknowledges there is no evidence yet, however said, 'much of what you saw coming out of Trump's mouth was a play from Putin's playbook.' 'I think that when you saw him absolutely calling Hillary crooked, the "lock her up, lock her up," all of that was developed. I think that was developed strategically with people from the Kremlin, with Putin,' Waters said on the Thursday edition of Morning Joe." (Ian Schwartz, "Maxine Waters: No Actual Evidence Yet, But Connecting The Dots Will Lead To Trump Impeachment," RealClear Politics , 5/18/17)

Since Even Before Inauguration Day, Democrats Have Been Attempting To Put Together A Case Against President Trump Despite A Lack Of Evidence

January 16: Four Days Before Trump Took Office, Rep. Maxine Waters Stated That A Discussion Of Impeachment Should Be Put "Squarely On The Table." REP. WATERS: "Well, here's what I'm trying to get to. If we discover that Donald Trump or his advocates played a role in helping to devise strategy, if they are the ones who came up with 'Crooked Hillary,' if they are the ones who came up with 'she's ill,' 'something's wrong with her energy,' and the way that he basically described her in the campaign, I think that is something that would put the question squarely on the table whether or not he should be impeached." (Ian Schwartz, "Maxine Waters: If There Was 'Collusion With Russia,' Trump Committed Impeachable Offense," RealClear Politics , 1/16/17)

February 15: Less Than One Month Into The Trump Presidency, The DNC Said That The Trump/Russia Investigation Was "Already Bigger Than Watergate." "The DNC itself went further than Mook, saying the ties between Trump and Russia had already eclipsed the Watergate scandal, which resulted in several Nixon aides being criminally convicted and serving sentences in either jail or prison. 'This is already bigger than Watergate,' DNC senior adviser Zac Petkanas, who formerly worked on the Clinton campaign." (Allan Smith, "Democrats: Trump's Russia Controversy Is 'Already Bigger Than Watergate,'" Business Insider , 2/15/17)

February 23: During The DNC Leadership Debate, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) Said, "Donald Trump Has Already Done A Number Of Things Which Legitimately Raise The Question Of Impeachment." REP. ELLISON "Donald Trump Has Already Done A Number Of Things Which Legitimately Raise The Question Of Impeachment." (Rep. Keith Ellison, " Remarks At CNN DNC Leadership Debate ," 2/23/17)

March 19: Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) Said Articles Of Impeachment Could "Be Drawn" From Trump's Actions. REP. LEE: "You are clearly on the edge of the question of public trust and those actions can be associated with high crimes and misdemeanors for which articles of impeachment can be drawn." (Dylan Baddour, "Houston Congresswoman Floats Impeachment Over Trump Wiretapping Claim," The Houston Chronicle , 3/19/17)

May 11: Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) Said Of Himself And Fellow Democrats, "We're Pretty Close To Considering Impeachment." REP. YARMUTH: "Yes, the circumstances and the facts are a little bit different but the same forces were at play where you have a president using his power to try and block an investigation into him. And so I think we're actually pretty close to considering impeachment." (Chris Williams, Rep. Yarmuth: We're Pretty Close To Considering Impeachment," WHAS , 5/11/17)

May 11: Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) Said Impeachment Will Happen Simply When Democrats Have Majority In The House. REP. HUFFMAN: "Impeachment will happen if handful of Republicans in Congress join Dems to put country above party. Or in 2019 after Dems win the house." (Jared Huffman, Twitter Feed , 5/11/17)

Democrats Repeatedly Accused President Trump Of Firing Former Director James Comey After He Requested Additional Resources For The Russian Investigation - A Claim Proven To Be Completely False

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL): After Requesting Additional Resources, Comey Was Fired In "Effort To Slow Down The Investigation." "'I'm told that as soon as Rosenstein arrived, there was a request for additional resources for the investigation, and that a few days afterward, he was sacked,' said Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois. 'I think the Comey operation was breathing down the neck of the Trump campaign and their operatives, and this was an effort to slow down the investigation.'" (Matthew Rosenberg and Matt Apuzzo, "Days Before Firing, Comey Asked For More Resources For Russia Inquiry," The New York Times , 5/10/17)

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Said She Understood That Comey Was Seeking More Resources For The Russia Probe. "Democrat Dianne Feinstein, the Senate Judiciary Committee's top Democrat, told reporters she understood Comey was seeking more resources for the FBI investigation." (Dustin Volz and Susan Cornwell, "Comey Had Pushed For More Resources For Russia Probe Before Being Fired By Trump: Source," Reuters , 5/11/17)

Sarah Isgur Flores, The Justice Department's Top Spokesman, Said That This Claim Was "Totally False." "Sarah Isgur Flores, the Justice Department's top spokeswoman, told HuffPost that the reports regarding Comey asking for more money were 'totally false.'" (Marina Fang, "James Comey Reportedly Asked For More Money For Russia Probe Before He Was Fired," The Huffington Post , 5/10/17)

Acting FBI Director McCabe Said That If The FBI Were To Ask For More Resources, The Request Would Be Made To Congress, Which Appropriates Money, Not The White House. "Second, he said if the FBI were to ask for more resources, the request would be made of Congress (which appropriates money) rather than the executive branch. Again, advantage White House." (John Harwood, "Acting FBI Director McCabe Backs Up Trump Administration On One Key Detail," CNBC , 5/11/17)

INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS HAVE SEEN NO EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA

Former CIA And NSA Director Michael Hayden "Has Not Seen Any Evidence" Of Intentional Collusion

Former CIA And NSA Director Michael Hayden Stated That He Could Not Confirm Any Intentional Russian Collusion Because He Had "Not Seen Any Evidence of That." CNN HOST JIM SCIUTTO: "Joining me now is General Michael Hayden. He's the former director at both the CIA and the NSA. He's now a CNN national security analyst"… CNN HOST JIM SCIUTTO: "We're hearing disappointment. You're a former intelligence officer. You look at Jared Kushner's behavior here, plus other things we heard about Trump campaign contacts with the Russians." FMR. DIR. OF CIA AND NSA MICHAEL HAYDEN: "Right." CNN HOST JIM SCIUTTO: "You have pieced together incomplete information many times in your life. What is your best read of that? Do you think it was intentional? Does it look like to you intentional collusion or does it look like something more innocent?" FMR. DIR. OF CIA AND NSA MICHAEL HAYDEN: "I'm not prepared to say it was intentional collusion. I have not seen any evidence of that. People's whose judgment I trust, Jim Clapper, John Brennan, although they had left government, said by the time they left there was no evidence of collusion." (CNN's " The Lead With Jake Tapper ," 5/29/17)

Clinton Ally And Former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell Stated There Was No Evidence Of Collusion

Clinton Ally Michael Morell, The Former Acting CIA Director, Cast Doubt On Allegations That The Trump Team Colluded With Russia. "Former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell, who endorsed Hillary Clinton and called Donald Trump a dupe of Russia, cast doubt Wednesday night on allegations that members of the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. Morell, who was in line to become CIA director if Clinton won, said he had seen no evidence that Trump associates cooperated with Russians. He also raised questions about the dossier written by a former British intelligence officer, which alleged a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia." (Ken Dilanian, "Clinton Ally Says Smoke, But No Fire: No Russia-Trump Collusion," NBC News , 3/16/17)

Morell Stated There Is No Serious Evidence Showing Trump/Russia Connections. "Morell said he had learned that the former officer, Christopher Steele, paid his key Russian sources, and interviewed them through intermediaries. 'On the question of the Trump campaign conspiring with the Russians here, there is smoke, but there is no fire, at all,' Morell said at an event sponsored by the Cipher Brief, an intelligence web site. 'There's no little campfire, there's no little candle, there's no spark. And there's a lot of people looking for it.'" (Ken Dilanian, "Clinton Ally Says Smoke, But No Fire: No Russia-Trump Collusion," NBC News , 3/16/17)

Former Director Of National Intelligence James Clapper Said There "Was No Evidence Whatsoever" Of Trump Campaign Collusion With Russia

Former Director Of National Intelligence James Clapper Said, "There Was No Evidence Whatsoever" Of Collusion Between The Trump Campaign And The Russians. "Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told ABC News he did not see anything to suggest that Russia successfully infiltrated Donald Trump's presidential campaign or recruited any of Trump's advisers - at least as of Jan. 20, when Clapper left office. 'There was no evidence whatsoever, at the time, of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians,' Clapper, a retired three-star general and career intelligence officer, told ABC News' Brian Ross in an interview Monday for 'World News Tonight.'" (Brian Ross, James Gordon Meek, and Matthew Mosk, "'No Evidence' Trump Campaign Aides Recruited By Russia, Former Spy Chief Says," ABC News , 3/9/17)

On March 5, When Asked If There Were "Definitively" Improper Contacts Between The Trump Campaign And Russia, Clapper Responded "Not To My Knowledge… At The Time, We Had No Evidence Of Collusion." MSNBC'S CHUCK TODD: "That's an important revelation at this point. Let me ask you this, does intelligence exist that can definitively answer the following question, whether there were improper contacts between the Russia campaign or intelligence officials." FORMER DNI JAMES CLAPPER: "We did not include evidence in our report and that's NSA, FBI and CIA with my office, the director of national intelligence that had anything -- that had any reflection of collusion between members of the trump campaign or the office, was there no evidence of that in our report. "TODD: "I understand that, but does it exist?" CLAPPER: "Not to my knowledge." TODD: "If it existed it would have been in the report?" CLAPPER: "This could have unfolded or become available in the time since I left the government. At the time, we had no evidence of collusion." (MSNBC's "Meet The Press," 3/5/17)

• When Asked To Clarify, Clapper Said "That's Correct" When Asked If There Is No Proof Of Collusion. TODD: "What's not proven is the idea of collusion?" CLAPPER: "That's correct." (MSNBC's "Meet The Press," 3/5/17)

Clapper Re-Affirmed On CNN That He Personally Testified And Stood Behind The Fact That He Found "No Direct Evidence Of Political Collusion" Between The Trump Administration And Russia. CNN's CHRIS CUOMO: "All right, Joe Johns, so we see the president once again trying to tap down the significance of the Russian investigation. But I'll tell you who isn't laughing about these questions, the former director of national intelligence James Clapper…" CUOMO: "All right, now, you're talking about the second head of this beast, which is the questions that go to communications and any potential collaboration or collusion with members of the Trump administration. The president, you know his position on this. And the reflection of that in the citizenry is this. Where's the proof? It's all unnamed sources. It's all leaks. Nothing has come out that shows any degree of essential wrongdoing or certainly criminality by anyone involved in the campaign, so there must be nothing there." JAMES CLAPPER: "Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say that. But I also have to say that with specific respect to the issue of collusion, as I have said before, I've testified to this effect, I saw no direct evidence of political collusion between the campaign and -- the Trump campaign and the Russians." (CNN's " New Day," 5/30/17)

There Is Bipartisan Agreement In The Senate That There Has Been No Evidence Of Collusion

The Senate Intelligence Committee Began Investigating Possible Contacts between the Trump Campaign and Russia in January. "Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said late Friday that his committee will investigate possible contacts between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia, reversing himself one day after telling reporters that the issue would be outside of his panel's ongoing probe into Moscow's election-disruption efforts. Burr and the intelligence panel's top Democrat, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, said in a joint statement that the committee's probe would touch on 'intelligence regarding links between Russia and individuals associated with political campaigns' as well as Russian cyberattacks and other election meddling outlined in an intelligence report released last week." (Elana Schor, "Intelligence Committee Will Investigate Possible Russia-Trump Links," Politico , 1/13/17)

According To Vice Chairman Of The Senate Intelligence Committee Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), No Evidence Of Collusion Between Trump Campaign And Russia Has Been Found. "Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said while attempted Russian interference is clear, the question of whether there was collusion is still unknown. 'We know what Russia has done to interfere in the electoral process,' the Virginia Democrat told CNN. 'Now we have to see what kind of conversations or coordination could have taken place between individuals affiliated with the Trump campaign and the Russians. We will follow the intelligence wherever it leads.'" (Jim Sciutto, "Trump Says No Collusion; GOP And Dem Members Say Case Isn't Closed," CNN , 5/10/17)

• Warner Admitted To CNN's Jake Tapper: "We Have No Smoking Gun At This Point." "Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) on Sunday said the Senate Intelligence Committee has yet to find a smoking gun as it investigates Russia's meddling in the United States election. 'There is a lot of smoke. We have no smoking gun at this point, but there is a lot of smoke,' Warner told CNN's 'State of the Union.'" (Mallory Shelbourne, "Warner On Russia Probe: 'We Have No Smoking Gun At This Point,'" The Hill , 6/4/17)

"Democrats On The Intelligence Committee Now Quietly Admit… They Don't Expect To Find Evidence Of Active, Informed Collusion Between Trump Campaign And Known Russian Intelligence Operatives." "Even some Democrats on the Intelligence Committee now quietly admit, after several briefings and preliminary inquiries, they don't expect to find evidence of active, informed collusion between the Trump campaign and known Russian intelligence operatives, though investigators have only just begun reviewing raw intelligence. Among the Intelligence Committee's rank and file, there's a tangible frustration over what one official called 'wildly inflated' expectations surrounding the panel's fledgling investigation." (Ali Watkins, "Inside The Investigation To Get To The Bottom Of Russia's Role In The Election," Buzzfeed , 3/9/17)

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), A Member Of The Senate Intelligence Committee, Told Wolf Blitzer She Had Not Seen Evidence That There Was Collusion Between Trump Associates And Russia During The Campaign. CNN's WOLF BLITZER: "Do you believe, do you have evidence that there was in fact collusion between Trump Associates And Russia during the campaign." SEN. FEINSTEIN: "Not at this time." (Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Interview with Wolf Blitzer , Washington, D.C., 5/3/17)

Feinstein Reiterated That There Was No Evidence Of Collusion In Another Interview With Wolf Blitzer Two Weeks Later. BLITZER: "The last time we spoke, Senator, I asked you if you had actually seen evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians, and you said to me -- and I am quoting you now -- you said, 'not at this time.' Has anything changed since we spoke last?" SEN. FEINSTEIN: "Well, no -- no, it hasn't. …" BLITZER: "But, I just want to be precise, Senator. In all of the -- you have had access from the Intelligence Committee, from the Judiciary Committee, all of the access you have had to very sensitive information, so far you have not seen any evidence of collusion, is that right?" SEN. FEINSTEIN: "Well, evidence that would establish that there's collusion. There are all kinds of rumors around, there are newspaper stories, but that's not necessarily evidence." (Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Interview with Wolf Blitzer , Washington, D.C., 5/18/17)

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Said In March He Has Seen No Evidence Of Collusion Between The Trump Campaign And Russia. "'I've seen no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. I've seen no evidence of a wiretap being requested by the Department of Justice, a warrant,' he said." (Eugene Scott, "Graham: I Will Subpoena FBI For Wiretap Answers If Need Be," CNN , 3/15/17)

• Senator Graham Reiterated This Position In A Recent Interview Saying "There Is No Evidence Of Collusion Between The Trump Campaign And The Russians." Sen. Graham: "There is no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians that I've seen as of this date, I do not believe the president himself is a target or subject of any criminal investigation as of right now. So, that's what I know right now and where this goes I don't know. Follow the facts where they lead." (Sen. Lindsey Graham, "Fox News' America's News HQ, 5/18/17)

Senator Joe Manchin Told John Dickerson On "Face The Nation" There Was "Nothing There" In Terms Of Direct Evidence Pointing To Any Collusion. CBS' JOHN DICKERSON: "Have you seen anything that suggests any collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign." SEN. MANCHIN: "Well, there is an awful lot of smoke there, let's put it that way, people who may have said they were involved, to what extent they were involved, to what extent the president may have known about these people there is nothing there from that standpoint that we see directly linking our president to any of that." (Sen. Joe Manchin, Interview With John Dickerson, Washington, D.C., 5/8/17)

Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) Said "I Don't Have Conclusive Proof Of Collusion," Walking Back An Earlier Claim That There Were Transcripts Showing Trump-Russia Collusion. CHRIS WALLACE: "Why would you suggest in that clip that I just played for Senator Cotton that there are FBI transcripts that show, and I want to get your words, 'provide very critical insights' in the collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians?" SENATOR COONS: "What I was trying to make clear, Chris, and I appreciate a chance to restate this, is that I don't have, and I don't know of, any conclusive proof one way or the other about whether there was collusion between senior levels of the Trump campaign and Russian officials. But I believe that our intelligence community, which is the most sophisticated in the world, has intercepts, has raw intelligence, and it's important that the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting an investigation be given access to those intercepts, to transcripts of those intercepts, so that they can get to the bottom of this." (Sen. Chris Coons, Interview with Chris Wallace, Washington, D.C., 3/5/17)

The House Intelligence Committee Has Found No Evidence Of Collusion

The House Intelligence Committee Began Examining Possible Ties Between Russian And President Trump's Campaign In January. "A House Intelligence Committee investigation is covering whether there were possible ties between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign, as well as other efforts by Moscow to meddle in the U.S. election. The House committee joins its Senate counterpart in pursuing such an inquiry. In a joint statement, Republican Chairman Devin Nunes and ranking Democrat Adam Schiff, both of California, said the scope of the committee's probe includes 'any intelligence regarding links between Russia and individuals associated with political campaigns.'" (Gabrielle Levy, "House Panel Probing Possible Links Between Russia, Trump Campaign," US News & World Report , 1/25/17)

The Ranking Democrat On The House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff (D-CA) Told Jake Tapper On "State Of The Union" That There Is No "Definitive" Proof Of Collusion Between The Trump Campaign And Russia. "'I don't think we can say anything definitively at this point,' Schiff said. 'We are still at the very early stages of the investigation. The only thing I can say is that it would be irresponsible for us not to get to the bottom of this.'" (Tim Hains, "Adam Schiff: There Is No 'Definitive' Proof Of Any Trump-Russia Connection," RealClear Politics , 4/2/17)

 

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