Vanderbilt Television News Archive

(Studio: Anderson Cooper) What President Trump has said in the past about the Russia investigation introduced. [Six times, TRUMp - calls the Russia story a fabrication, a made-up story, a witchhunt, a ruse, phony, a Democrat hoax.] The new string of indictments from special counsel former FBI director Robert Mueller naming 13 Russians for meddling in the 2016 election by sowing discord & supporting the campaign of Donald Trump reviewed. [Deputy attorney general Rod ROSENSTEIN - talks about the Russian operation using social media accounts while posing as Americans, bought political advertising & used real Americans to engage in political activities; notes there are no allegations in this indictment.] A tweet & a statement from Trump quoted. [Three days ago, FBI director Christopher WRAY - says FBI operations are not being directed by the president.] How this indictment only deals with the social media aspect of Russian meddling & the investigation is not over explained.

(Studio: Anderson Cooper; Washington: Jessica Schneider) This 37-p[age explanation of how 13 Russians carried out "information warfare" against the US to get Trump elected over Hillary Clinton by using American identities & millions of dollars, what it means for Muller's fuller investigation with more yet to come discussed.

(Studio: Anderson Cooper); White House: Jeff Zeleny) How Rosenstein briefed Trump before the announcement of the indictments with questions about the Rosenstein-Trump relationship, how Trump did not talk about the obstruction of justice issue with more to come as this investigation will not go away discussed.

(Studio: Anderson Cooper) Live discussion held with CNN's Shimon Prokupecz, "New York Times" Maggie Haberman, lawyer carrie Cordero & Keenan Inst.'s Matthew Rojansky† about the Russian indictments. [PROKUPECZ, CORDERO, HABERMAN, ROJANSKY - offer views on the penetration of this Russian operation, the "conspiracy" among an organization supported by the Russia government, the Russian denials of an operation, the levels of detail in the indictment, how we do not know the extent of the Mueller investigation, what Trump is doing to indicate it is about undermining his 2016 win, how we are mid-game in the investigation, how Rosenstein stood alone with the announcement, whether there will now be some action from the White House, what is covered in the indictments of the Russian propaganda unit, the unlikelihood there will be an organized response from the White House.]