Why Trump has denied Russian interference

[NastyRiffraff]

Trump has insisted, again and again, that not only was there "no collusion," but there was no Russian interference in the election. Clearly, he thought any hint of interference would diminish his "victory."

Now, of course, he's crowing because the Mueller report supposedly "exonerates" him. But that report says something quite different. From the Washington Post:

The special counsel’s report on possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russians to interfere in the 2016 election is extremely detailed with only modest redactions — painting a far less flattering picture for Trump than the attorney general has offered and revealing new details about interactions between Russians and Trump associates. Mueller’s team wrote that though their investigation “did not establish that the Trump Campaign coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities,” that assertion was informed by the fact that coordination requires more than two parties “taking actions that were informed by or responsive to the other’s actions or interests.”

And Mueller made abundantly clear: Russia wanted to help the Trump campaign, and the Trump campaign was willing to take it.

“Although the investigation established that the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome, and that the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts, the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities,” Mueller’s team wrote.
Washington Post

I haven't yet read the report, but it looks like Mueller's conclusions were a lot more nuanced, and much less exculpatory, than Barr's stunt today acting as Trump's personal attorney indicated.

"Russia wanted to help the Trump campaign, and the Trump campaign was willing to take it." There we have it.

[Zoonart]

1. ...and the attack on our election by the Russians meant absolutely

nothing to them, and does not even now.

[ginnyinWI]

2. The elephant in the middle of the room is this:

Nobody has addressed this today that I've seen: if the Russians influenced our election, then Trump's win is not legitimate. And that is why he sought to deny, deny, deny and call it a witch hunt. But we have it here plainly stated: they did influence that election and his legitimacy can be absolutely questioned.

That's why he obstructed justice. This investigation made him look bad. It's not the crime, it's the coverup by the person who benefited.

[NastyRiffraff]

3. And he's still denying (with Barr's help)

but even Barr admits that the report does show Russian interference. He almost chocked on the words, but it's very clear in the report that not only did Russia interfere in the election, but that Trump was happy to take their help. That in itself isn't collusion, but it is accepting help from a hostile foreign power to win an election. Where that falls legally isn't clear, but at the very least it makes Trump, his campaign, and the Republican Party complicit in a stolen election.

[Locrian]

4. That's why he obstructed justice.

I don't think that's why he obstructed.

He thought (didn't know) mueller was looking into not just *during* the election but *before* - which is where they have slam dunk money laundering with the russians etc. THAT was what he was deathly afraid of - and would have ended his presidency