Trump Campaign Releases Video of Democrats Who Claimed Evidence of Russian Collusion

President Donald Trump returns to the White House on March 24, 2019. Eric Baradat/AFP/Getty Images

The Trump campaign posted a new video—not long after Attorney General William Barr delivered a summary of the findings from Robert Mueller’s special counsel’s investigation—that outlined previous statements from prominent Democrats who claimed there was evidence of Russian collusion.

According to Barr’s summary of the report, which looked into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, President Donald Trump and his campaign associates did not collude or coordinate with Russia in its efforts to interfere in the election.

Shortly after the release of the March 24 summary, the Trump campaign released a 40-second video, titled “Collusion Hoax!” showing edited clips of a number of prominent Democrats who had appeared on television to push that there was evidence of collusion.

“Dems hyped collusion with no evidence,” the text in the campaign advertisement stated. “Mueller proves them wrong.”

Democrats who appeared in the video included Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez and Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)

“I think there’s plenty of evidence of collusion or conspiracy in plain sight,” Schiff can be heard saying in one of the clips.

In another clip, Chairman Perez stated: “I think a mountain of evidence of collusion between the campaign and the Russians.”

After each Democrat made their comments, a red label with the text “WRONG” was slapped onto them. At the end of the video, a screen prompt appeared that read “Text Witchhunt to 88022,” most likely a call for supporters to contribute money or be added to the campaign’s mailing list.

Ann Mueller and former special counsel Robert Mueller walk in Washington, on March 24, 2019. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Aside from finding no evidence of collusion, Barr also concluded that the special counsel didn’t provide enough evidence to substantiate that the president obstructed justice.

On the same note, 2020 Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale issued a statement where he said that the president was “completely and fully vindicated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.”

“The investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.”

Trump called Barr’s summary a “complete exoneration” in brief remarks to reporters before boarding Air Force One en route from Florida to Washington. The president called the allegations of collusion “the most ridiculous thing ever.”

“It was a complete and total exoneration,” Trump said. “It’s a shame that our country had to go through this. To be honest it’s a shame that your president had to go through this.”

The statement continued “Democrats took us on a frantic, chaotic, conspiracy-laden roller coaster for two years, alleging wrongdoing where there was none. So distraught and blindsided by the results of the 2016 elections, Democrats lied to the American people continually, hoping to undo the legitimate election of President Trump. Their dirty tricks have not ended.”

Barr’s four-page summary (pdf) to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate judiciary committee noted that the special counsel interviewed approximately 500 witnesses, executed almost 500 search warrants, issued more 2,800 subpoenas, obtained more than 230 orders for communications records, and autroized nearly 50 pen registers. Mueller employed a staff of 19 lawyers and 40 FBI agents, analysts, forensic accountants, and professional staff, according to Barr.