AP FACT CHECK: Trump attacks Russia probe as biased
WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to discredit a highly anticipated report on the Russia investigation, President Donald Trump is attacking the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller by falsely claiming it was biased and conflicted.
He suggested in remarks to reporters Wednesday that Mueller's appointment was inappropriately made by the Justice Department and that Mueller arbitrarily decided "out of the blue" to put together the report as part of his two-year probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign. That's not the case.
Trump also falsely asserted the U.S. economy is the greatest ever and overstated the nature of his win in the 2016 race.
A look at the claims and the reality:
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION
TRUMP: "Again I say, a deputy, because of the fact that the attorney general didn't have the courage to do it himself, a deputy that's appointed appoints another man to write a report."
THE FACTS: The attorney general at the time, Jeff Sessions didn't lack courage in the matter; he lacked standing. He recused himself from anything to do with the Trump campaign's interactions with Russia because his work for the campaign placed him in a potential conflict of interest. It then fell to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to decide whether to appoint a special counsel, and he did.
TRUMP: "I know that he's conflicted and I know that his best friend is Comey, who's a bad cop."
THE FACTS: Though James Comey succeeded Mueller as FBI director, and though they served together in the Bush administration, the men are not known to be social friends. There is certainly no evidence, as Trump has repeatedly suggested, that they are "best friends."
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/factcheck/ap-fact-check-trump-attacks-russia-probe-as-biased/ar-BBV1QyT?li=BBnbfcL
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