'Russian situation is completely overblown' – new WH communications director
The scandal around the US officials allegedly colluding with the Russian government has been “overblown” and serves to “to take the president off his agenda,” Donald Trump’s new communications director, Anthony Scaramucci has said.
On Sunday, the newly appointed White House communications director appeared on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ program addressing questions on alleged Trump-Russia interactions.
“I was there early on in the campaign. I didn’t have any interactivity with the Russians. I didn’t see anybody have interactivity with the Russians. It is a completely bogus and nonsensical thing,” Scaramucci told host Jake Tapper.
“You guys have to manufacture these scandals to take the president off his agenda,” he added.
Scaramucci also spoke to Fox News, telling host Chris Wallace, “I think that the Russian situation is completely overblown.” He added, that he too has been falsely accused of conspiring with the Russians.
Last month, CNN published a story, claiming that Scaramucci, who was a part of Trump’s transition team, along with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, had been under a Senate investigation over a meeting with a Russian investment bank CEO. The network later retracted the story, apologizing to Scaramucci, while the three journalists involved have resigned.
READ MORE: 3 CNN journalists behind retracted Russia-Trump story resign
With Trump tweeting Saturday that “the US president has complete power to pardon,” Scaramucci was asked to comment on reports that Trump is considering using his power to pardon his family members, aides and himself in light of the Russia probe.
“The president is thinking about pardoning nobody,” he emphasized.
While all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon, why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us.FAKE NEWS
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 22 июля 2017 г.
“He hasn’t done anything wrong,” Scaramucci said.
When asked about a new raft of already drafted sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, Scaramucci said that Trump “hasn’t made the decision yet to sign the bill” and that “He’ll make that decision when he makes it.”
He nevertheless noted that “a person that’s going to be super, super tough on Russia is President Donald J. Trump.”
Also on Sunday, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who Friday replaced Sean Spicer as White House press secretary, assured that the administration would back the new sanctions legislation.
“The administration is supportive of being tough on Russia, particularly in putting these sanctions in place,” she said on ABC ‘This Week.’
The House of Representatives is set to vote on the bill Tuesday, after Republicans and Democrats agreed on a new round of sanctions to be applied to Russia, Iran and North Korea.
