BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) – The Latest on President Donald Trump and the probe of possible Russian interference in the 2016 elections. (all times local):
9:05 p.m.
President Donald Trump has returned to referring to the commotion over Russia as "a big hoax" after a week of drama, back tracking and a double negative about his attitude toward Russian election interference. In a Sunday tweet, the president diminished at least the significance, if not the existence, of the interference and the U.S. investigation into Russia’s actions.
Trump spent days trying to reassure the country that he accepts that the longtime foe interfered in the 2016 election after his public undermining of U.S. intelligence agencies in Helsinki while standing alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. But on Sunday, Trump cast doubts once again, diminishing at least the significance, if not the existence, of the interference and the U.S. investigation into Russia’s actions.
"So President Obama knew about Russia before the Election," Trump tweeted Sunday that President Barack Obama knew about Russia before the election bu questioned: "Why didn’t he do something about it? Because it is all a big hoax, that’s why."
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6:37 p.m.
President Donald Trump has asserted without evidence that newly released documents relating to the wiretapping of his onetime campaign adviser Carter Page "confirm with little doubt" that intelligence agencies misled the court that approved the warrant.
But lawmakers from both political parties said that the documents don’t show wrongdoing and that they even appear to undermine some previous claims by top Republicans on the basis for obtaining a warrant against Page.
Visible portions of the heavily redacted documents, released Saturday under the Freedom of Information Act, show the FBI telling the court that Page "has been collaborating and conspiring with the Russian government." The agency also told the court that "the FBI believes Page has been the subject of targeted recruitment by the Russian government."
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