The following article by Aaron Blake was posted on the Washington Post website September 11, 2017:
Stephen K. Bannon labeled the Russia investigation a “farce” and a “waste of time” during his interview with “60 Minutes” this weekend. But those strong words papered over what was otherwise a pretty nervous and nonsensical defense of President Trump on Russia.
If you watch the video above, you’ll see Bannon repeatedly stumble over his answers to Charlie Rose’s questions. Bannon echoed the Trump White House’s long-running strategy of deflecting on Russia, responding to questions about whether there was interference by saying there was no collusion and that it didn’t have an impact. Both times Bannon tried this, though, Rose called him out for not answering the question.
And by the end of the segment, Bannon offered perhaps his most illogical argument of the entire interview, suggesting that Trump didn’t more directly criticize Russia because he doesn’t want to pick a fight (!). This is a president, of course, who picks fights with pretty much everyone — up to and including members of his own party, his own staff, and powerful and adversarial countries like China.
Former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon gave a wide-ranging interview to “60 Minutes.” Here’s what he said about Republican leadership and the Russia investigation. (Amber Ferguson, Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
Let’s break it down piece by piece:
BANNON: There’s nothing to the Russia investigation. It’s a waste of time.
ROSE: What do you believe? You know what the national security institutions believe. What do you believe?
BANNON: What do you mean, what they believe? We don’t really — I mean — that there may have been — I — I think — look, I was there —
ROSE: No, no, no, you were — you —
BANNON: It’s a total and complete farce. Russian collusion is a farce.
ROSE: Okay, I didn’t say “collusion.” Did the Russians try to influence the election?
This is a tired strategy from the White House, and it’s dishonest. When asked about whether there was interference, you say there was no collusion. Well, that wasn’t the question. That may be the next question, but they are far from the same thing. And the fact remains that Bannon and others in the White House, including Trump, have been reluctant to acknowledge even that Russia tried to interfere — despite that being the consensus of the intelligence community.
Most notably, Trump has repeatedly gone after China, including this month when he threatened to cut off trade with it over its relationship with North Korea. Then there were the times he berated the Australian prime minister, told Mexico it was going to pay for his border wall, told Germany it was exploiting the European Union, and on and on.
In the very same interview, in fact, Bannon praised Trump’s counterpunching. “I think I’m a street fighter,” Bannon said. “And by the way, I think that’s why Donald Trump and I get along so well. Donald Trump’s a fighter. Great counterpuncher. Great counterpuncher. He’s a fighter.” Russia seems to be one of very few exceptions to that rule.
After nearly eight months, if this is still the best defense of Russia that the White House has, that says plenty.
View the post here.