Did Russia ever interfere in the U.S. elections?
Russia’s Putin: “Watch my lips — No.”https://t.co/g3Jbx1kVtS pic.twitter.com/KMyK0cA04z
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) March 30, 2017
Donald Trump and his administration have repeatedly denied any knowledge of Russia’s interference with the U.S. election, albeit with some argumentative responses. Now, Russian President Vladimir Putin has insisted (despite evidence to the contrary) that his country did no meddling by using a famous presidential quote to get the point across. However, he didn’t even nail his source.
On Thursday, when asked during a CNBC-moderated panel if he or Russia had any hand in the election. Putin, stone-faced as always, pointed to his lips and invoked a response from an American president. He mentioned Ronald Reagan and taxes and said, ‘No. Watch my lips. No.'”
Hate to rain on Putin’s parade, but the actual quote was “Read my lips: no new taxes,” and it was said by George H. W. Bush in 1988. Incorrect attribution aside, he further denied meddling later in the discussion, free of presidential quotes while saying the allegations are “fictional:”
“All those things are fictional, illusory and provocations, lies. All these are used for domestic American political agendas. The anti-Russian card is played by different political forces inside the United States to trade on that and consolidate their positions inside.”
Later, he said Russia gets a bad rap and that he respects the U.S. and believes U.S. citizens feel the same way about Russia:
“We said on numerous occasions and I reiterate that we are confident … And know for sure that opinion polls in the Unites States show that very many people are … friendly towards the Russian Federation and I’d like to tell these people that we perceive and regard the United States as a great power with which we want to establish good partnership relations.”
Despite Putin’s warm and cuddly declaration, the U.S. is still investigating ties between Russia and Trump. The situation has gotten a little confusing with Rep. Devin Nunes, but Congress is hard at work.
(Via CNBC & Washington Examiner)