CBS News on Monday published the findings of an Associated Press fact-check on President Trump’s tweets on those newly released documents from the FBI, which included the (heavily redacted) FISA warrant application to spy on Trump aide Carter Page.
Included among those tweets was this one, in which Trump declares the Christopher Steele dossier “a Clinton Campaign document.”
“It was classified to cover up misconduct by the FBI and the Justice Department in misleading the Court by using this Dossier in a dishonest way to gain a warrant to target the Trump Team. This is a Clinton Campaign document. It was a fraud and a hoax designed to target Trump….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2018
That particular fact-check caught the eye of The Federalist’s Sean Davis:
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1021840342411296768
Here’s the AP’s reasoning behind that claim:
It’s also not correct to call the Steele dossier a “Clinton Campaign document.” Steele was hired by Fusion GPS, a private research firm that in turn was hired by a law firm that represented the Democratic campaign. But Clinton’s closest aides said they didn’t learn about the research until after the election, which is probable considering they never raised the allegations publicly.
We especially like the use of, “But Clinton’s closest aides said…” in a fact-check of Donald Trump: stellar work there. “Which is probable” is also a nice touch.
So, the DNC and the Clinton campaign didn’t pay for the dossier — they went through a law firm that paid Fusion GPS, who paid for the dossier — and they didn’t use any of it publicly as opposition research during the campaign. And that’s why it’s incorrect to call it a Clinton campaign document.
Recommended
What was it then if not a campaign document?
It was financed by the DNC & Clinton campaign. This is an established fact. https://t.co/UmjLknB6ZY
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) July 24, 2018
This is stunning, defies words
The first sentence of the last paragraph basically fact checks Trump's statement as correct, even though the wording is torturous. The second sentence is pure speculation / opinion & has no business in a "fact check" reference.
Sad @CBSNews
— IT Guy (@ITGuy1959) July 24, 2018
Mr. Davis, a deliberate effort to obfuscate the origin/provenance of the document doesn't stop it from being a Clinton campaign document. If you engage in money laundering and use shell corporations to hide your ownership of a property, it is still your property in the end.
— NeoUnrealist (@NeoUnrealist) July 24, 2018
Hillary had no idea that the allegations of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign came from her own opposition research?
Excuse me? She didn't know what she was paying for?
— John R Low (@IvanBot007) July 24, 2018
"Never raised the allegations publicly"? What allegations are you talking about?
1.) Allegations of wiretapping?
2.) Allegations that HRC paid for the dossier?Of course, Hillary (the perpetrator) didn't raise either of these allegations. And that proves her innocence?
— John R Low (@IvanBot007) July 24, 2018
Barely plausible let alone probable.
— Harold Stickeehands (@StickeeNotes) July 25, 2018
Well, just what did you expect people close to the Clinton campaign to say? So you just buy the bs from them. Great investigative journalism.
— John Macaluso (@jmacaluso329) July 24, 2018
The last paragraph is stunning – the Clinton campaign said so, therefore it's true
— Raven (@KazeSkyz) July 24, 2018
Oh, golly gee, if Clinton's closest aides said they didn't learn about it 'til after the election then it must be fact. LOL What a cretin!
— The Grinning Curmudgeon (@Pyromitus) July 24, 2018
They didn’t use it because they didn’t think they needed it. They also didn’t write a concession speech until the next day.
— Mariane Matera (@MarianeMatera) July 24, 2018
Uhhhhh did anyone actually read the fact check before they wrote that conclusion???? ??
Reading comprehension is important kids.
This is 100% #FakeNews
The Steele dossier is a Clinton PAID doc.
Amazing indeed
— ??Nowell Kern ?? (@NowellKern) July 24, 2018
Keep spinning @CBS. Keep spinning.
— Mike Davis (@mikedkc) July 24, 2018
MY GOD! I’ve spent all day explaining this to people and now @CBSNews out and out LIES?? I need to go take a blood pressure pill. Great job, @cbs. You make me sick.
— Teri Cooper Brown (@terib3294) July 25, 2018
It's hopeless, I had an hour long "education session" with a kid (had to be) that was 100% convinced and sure of his information, that Trump was currently under Federal Indictment.
— RocDoc (@DocBuf) July 24, 2018
Who do these smacks think paid for the dossier??
— Beverly Ann (@TribeforFreedom) July 24, 2018
That's like my liberal friends not blaming Obama for drone bombing two US citizens, because Obama didn't literally pull the trigger.
— JohnStow? (@SleepingGiant16) July 24, 2018
Wow. I have no words. Wait yes I do. AP? ???
— jani (@janiceforsyth4) July 24, 2018
Looks like WaPo give CBS fact checkers 4 Pinocchios. https://t.co/lbTZkFxcRl
— Covfefe Kimmie (@kimmieguy) July 25, 2018
— Ricky Norton (@texasregul8tr) July 24, 2018
So not saying it was the Clinton's but it was the Clinton's. Kind of like this… pic.twitter.com/MVrszPEmrc
— JZ (@JZ618) July 24, 2018
Democracy dies in newsrooms.
— Eye On The World ?? ⭐⭐⭐ (@EyeOnTheWorld) July 24, 2018
And the winner of the Dan Rather Integrity in Journalism Award for 2018 goes to…
— Worm-a-nator (@CoachyWanKanobe) July 24, 2018
Related:
Serious amounts of WOW: Sean Davis lays out the dossier 'timeline' and it looks pretty DAMNING for CNN https://t.co/hkag66F9Xw
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 30, 2018
Join the conversation as a VIP Member