‘It’s Not a Joke’: CNN’s Jake Tapper Breaks Down Mueller’s Bombshell Indictments — And What It Means for Trump

Jul 16, 2018 by

Twelve intelligence officers were charged for their involvement in 2016 election meddling.

Photo Credit: CNN

CNN’s Jake Tapper explained why the bombshell indictments from special counsel Robert Mueller on Friday were such a significant development in the 2016 election interference case, calling it a “remarkable turn of events.”

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced that Mueller’s team has indicted 12 Russian intelligence officials for the hack of Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta.

“It comes just hours after President Trump referred to the Mueller probe, again, as a witch hunt, and just a few days before his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin,” Tapper said. “The president has said he will bring up the election meddling of 2016, but he has… said it in terms of almost as if he’s going to reluctantly bring it up.”

He continued: “Before these new indictments, these Russian individuals, Mueller had already brought forward 79 criminal charges against 20 individuals and three companies resulting in five guilty pleas and one sentencing.”

Of the Russian interference — which Trump has repeatedly expressed doubts about — Tapper said, “According to his own justice department, it’s not a joke. It’s what happened exactly.”

“It is a stunning set of indictments and clearly indicates that a lot of what the president and his administration have said about the hacks on Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the DNC simply was not true,” Tapper added.

“This is a major, major diplomatic breach,” said Dana Bash. “This is a major crime perpetrated by the man that the president is going to meet with.”

Watch the clips of his reaction below:

Cody Fenwick is a reporter and editor. Follow him on Twitter @codytfenwick.

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