CNN’s Jim Sciutto Grills GOP Rep.: Isn’t Trump ‘Doing Putin’s Work’ by Doubting Russian Meddling?

CNN’s Jim Sciutto spoke with Congressman Tom Reed (R- NY) this afternoon about the intel community assessment on Russian meddling.

The Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday made it clear in a report they’re backing up not just the ICA finding that Russia meddled, but that they had a clear preference for Donald Trump.

Trump has publicly expressed doubt about that, and he tweeted just last week, “Russia continues to say they had nothing to do with Meddling in our Election! Where is the DNC Server, and why didn’t Shady James Comey and the now disgraced FBI agents take and closely examine it? Why isn’t Hillary/Russia being looked at? So many questions, so much corruption!”

So Sciutto today grilled Reed on why the President is publicly raising doubts.

Reed said he agrees that Russia meddled, but as far as he’s concerned the “integrity of the election process was secure” and it’s important to move on, while making sure that we’re safeguarding against any future Russian attempts.

“Isn’t the President doing Putin’s work for him when he undermines his own intelligence agencies’ assessment about Russian interference in the election?” Sciutto asked. “Of course Russia’s gonna deny it, it’s not in their interest to acknowledge it, but isn’t he doing Putin’s work for him by expressing those doubts?”

“I do not believe that’s the case,” Reed responded.

He said this is about collusion and questions about the outcome of the election, saying “people spoke” in 2016 and it’s time to move on.

Sciutto asked Reed if he feels any disappointment as an American that the President isn’t doing more to order intel agencies to stop Russian meddling. You can watch the full segment above, via CNN.

[image via screengrab]

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