CNN’s Phil Mudd Says Intel Officials ‘Got Used’ By Trump For Security Briefing: ‘That Was a PR Stunt’
Fmr. CIA Counterterrorism Official Phil Mudd says intelligence officials “got used” yesterday when they warned of ongoing interference: “That was a PR stunt” https://t.co/d9uFqT7rUu pic.twitter.com/n2ewT5wmmp
— New Day (@NewDay) August 3, 2018
Former CIA official Phil Mudd accused the White House of pulling a “PR stunt” yesterday when they wheeled out top intelligence officials to insist the Trump administration is taking action against Russia’s election interference.
The CNN counterterrorism analyst was part of a Friday panel on New Day where the discussion focused on the intelligence chiefs who joined Sarah Sanders during yesterday’s White House’s press briefing. Even though the ensemble — National Security Adviser John Bolton, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, FBI Director Chris Wray, and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats — recognized Russia’s attack and discussed responses to it, Mudd found the display hollow.
“That was not a security meeting yesterday,” said Mudd. “That was the White House using a bunch of people so that, for the next two months, they can use a talking point that every time somebody raises Russia with Sarah Sanders, she’s going to say, ‘Look, the president directed those guys you saw on the podium to go do something about Russia.’”
When Alisyn Camerota asked him if he thought it was a “PR stunt” Mudd strongly agreed with that characterization.
“That was a PR stunt, give me a break!” Rudd said. “They got used!”
Watch above, via CNN.
[Image via screengrab]
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