CNN anchor Jake Tapper admitted Monday that the long-awaited 2016 Trump-Russia investigation report from special counsel John Durham exonerates the former president “to a degree.”
“The report is now here. It has dropped, and it might not have produced everything of what some Republicans hoped for,” Tapper said. “It is, regardless, devastating to the FBI, and to a degree, it does exonerate Donald Trump.”
TAPPER: Durham report is "devastating to the FBI and to a degree, it does exonerate Donald Trump." pic.twitter.com/DC30fNpEve
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 15, 2023
Durham, who former Attorney General Bill Barr tasked to examine the propriety of the FBI’s investigation of President Trump, released a 306-page report Monday that found that the FBI had no evidence to support a Trump-Russia scandal when it began its investigation and found “sobering” differences in how it approached the Trump probe compared to other politically sensitive investigations.
“Based on the review of Crossfire Hurricane and related intelligence activities, we concluded the Department and the FBI failed to uphold their important mission of strict fidelity to the law in connection with certain events and activities described in this report,” the report says.
“The FBI personnel also repeatedly disregarded important requirements when they continued to seek renewals of that FISA surveillance while acknowledging – both then and in hindsight – that they did not genuinely believe there was probably cause to believe that the target was knowingly engaged in clandestine intelligence activities on behalf of foreign power,” the report said.
Tapper’s remarks over the report stirred up backlash across social media Monday.
Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist, called Tapper “Patient Zero” for pushing the alleged collusion back in January 2017.
“He deliberately helped kick off the hysteria with his ‘reporting’ on Comey’s bogus meeting to set-up Trump using the dossier, which fueled the hoax for years,” Davis said. “Tapper should personally apologize for his role.”‘
Tapper was Patient Zero for the collusion hoax back in January of 2017. He deliberately helped kick off the hysteria with his "reporting" on Comey's bogus meeting to set-up Trump using the dossier, which fueled the hoax for years. Tapper should personally apologize for his role. https://t.co/mgxPIMkgdB
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) May 15, 2023
Former CNN sports correspondent Keith Olbermann called Tapper’s remarks the network’s latest scandal.
“@jaketapper says the Durham Report is ‘devastating to the FBI,'” he said. “It isn’t. Not even close. No charges, just partisan “conclusions.” And Tapper of the new non-journalistic Chris Licht CNN is propagandizing.”
“Jake Tapper needs to resign,” he added.
CNN's new scandal:@jaketapper says the Durham Report is "devastating to the FBI"
It isn't. Not even close. No charges, just partisan "conclusions." And Tapper of the new non-journalistic Chris Licht CNN is propagandizing
Jake Tapper needs to resign pic.twitter.com/EcJo6qwfA3
— Keith Olbermann↙️ (@KeithOlbermann) May 15, 2023