Fact-Checking the New York Times Daily Podcast's Disinformation-Filled Russiagate Episode-gemini-2.5-flash-lite-prompt4

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvnyEsLBgTE

Verse 1
- Img Prompt 1
- Video Prompt 1

Verse 1

The provided text is a critique of a New York Times "The Daily" podcast episode concerning Russiagate. Megyn Kelly, along with guests Michael Shellenberger and Aaron Mate, dissects the podcast's reporting, arguing that it is filled with disinformation and omits crucial facts. The core themes revolve around the alleged manipulation of intelligence, the media's role in perpetuating a false narrative, and the lack of accountability for journalistic missteps in the Russiagate saga. The speakers contend that key figures like Michael Schmidt misrepresented the intelligence landscape, cherry-picked data, and ignored counter-evidence, particularly concerning the origins and validity of the Steele Dossier and the intelligence community's assessment of Russian interference. The discussion highlights a perceived coordinated effort between intelligence agencies and media outlets to create a narrative of Trump-Russia collusion, ultimately aiming to undermine his presidency.

### Gothic Dialogue

**Characters:**

* **Eleonora:** A spectral historian, eternally bound to a crumbling library.
* **Silas:** A melancholic poet, who finds beauty in decay.

**(The scene: A dimly lit, dust-laden chamber. Cobwebs drape like macabre lace from forgotten chandeliers. Eleonora drifts near a towering stack of yellowed newspapers, while Silas sits hunched over a skeletal manuscript.)**

**Eleonora:**
Hark, Silas, to this latest whispered dread,
A tale of news, where truth lies cold and dead.
The *Times*, they say, with voice so smooth and deep,
Did sow more falsehoods while the public sleep.
A podcast spun, a narrative so grand,
Of Russian whispers in a foreign land.
But ah, the cracks, the flaws they did expose,
A flimsy fabric, stitched with phantom woes!

**Silas:**
Indeed, my dear, a tapestry of lies,
Woven with threads of convenient surprise.
They bring forth Schmidt, a scribe of some renown,
Whose pen, it seems, can build or else pull down.
He speaks of Comey, and of leaks untold,
A Pulitzer for stories bought and sold.
Yet, in their telling, oh, the facts they spurned,
The very hands that fed them, never learned!

**Eleonora:**
The lap-dog media, with vacant stare,
Embraced the intel, thin beyond compare.
They smeared the tangerine, with naught to prove,
A scandal grand, that time shall e'er reprove.
And Schmidt, the expert, chosen for the day,
Whose own life’s work is tangled in the fray!
They placed him on a pedestal so high,
While honest doubts were left to fade and die.

**Silas:**
His wife, the anchor, on the airwaves bright,
Her husband guest, a most peculiar sight.
No mention made of marital embrace,
Just journalistic rigor, time and space.
While Tulsi spoke of treason, deep and dire,
Of Obama’s men, consumed by secret fire,
Their claims, like mist, dissolve when closely viewed,
On baseless winds, their arguments pursued.

**Eleonora:**
They read the papers, pored o'er words unsaid,
To find the errors, raise the honored dead
Of factual reporting, sharp and keen,
To pierce the veil of what has falsely been.
A negligence, a sin of journalistic art,
To feed the masses such a hollow heart.
The *Times* does mislead, its readers led astray,
While truth, a ghost, is banished from the day.

**Silas:**
The House report, by partisans assailed,
By Senate’s wisdom, they’ve been oft regaled.
Yet whispers rise, of data left unseen,
Of cherry-picked reports, a hollow scene.
For if the sources, frail and hearsay-born,
Can build a narrative, from dusk till morn,
Then what is truth, when bias takes the lead,
And planted whispers are the fertile seed?

**Eleonora:**
From Washington, where shadows softly creep,
The contradictions sown, while secrets sleep.
A "conspiracy," they cried, with voices grim,
To seize the power, dimming every whim.
The dossier, a fiction, thinly veiled,
Its tendrils deep, where truth has oft been failed.
And yet, they cling, these scribes of yesterday,
To tales that crumble, fading fast away.

**Silas:**
So let us watch, from this ethereal height,
As flimsy narratives ignite the night.
The *Times* may spin, the podcast may decry,
But dust to dust, eventually, will fly.
The truth, a phantom, waits in silent gloom,
To rise again, escaping its dark tomb.

Img Prompt 1

A single, ornate quill pen, dripping thick, obsidian ink onto a pristine white sheet of parchment. The quill's feather is a deep, bruised purple, almost black, catching a faint, spectral light. Beside it rests a single, wilting black rose, its petals edged with an unnatural, vibrant crimson. The background is a stark, high-contrast expanse of velvety black, with subtle, swirling patterns of deep indigo. The overall composition is clean and stark, evoking a sense of elegant, yet morbid, finality. 💀🥀

Video Prompt 1

**Scene:** A close-up shot of an antique, tarnished silver locket, lying open on a velvet cushion. Inside, a faded, miniature portrait of a stern-faced Victorian woman. Animation: The woman's eyes in the portrait slowly blink, then her lips curve into a faint, knowing smirk. A single, impossibly black tear rolls from the corner of her eye, catching the light before disappearing into the velvet. The locket slowly snaps shut with a soft, resonant click.

Audio: A melancholic Baroque harpsichord piece begins, its notes sparse and echoing. As the tear falls, the sound of a single, slow drop of water, stereo-panned, is introduced, followed by the faint, rhythmic ticking of a grandfather clock. 🕰️💧

### Sonnet for Original Image

Upon the screen, a vibrant hue doth blaze, A crimson backdrop, where bold lines entwine. There sits a presence, catching all our gaze, Whose words like sparks, do often brightly shine. The "Megyn Kelly Show," a number's grace, EP. 1129, proclaims its latest hour. Her countenance, with forthright, keenest face, Doth hold the listener within its power. A golden script, upon her name doth rest, Like ancient fame, it proudly does declare. She speaks her mind, putting doubts to the test, A voice unburdened, free from worldly care. So let the episode begin anew, With truth unfettered, clear for me and you.

### Generated Image

Generated Image

Prompt:

A single, ornate quill pen, dripping thick, obsidian ink onto a pristine white sheet of parchment. The quill's feather is a deep, bruised purple, almost black, catching a faint, spectral light. Beside it rests a single, wilting black rose, its petals edged with an unnatural, vibrant crimson. The background is a stark, high-contrast expanse of velvety black, with subtle, swirling patterns of deep indigo. The overall composition is clean and stark, evoking a sense of elegant, yet morbid, finality. 💀🥀

### Generated Video

*Prompt:*

YouTube Audio Analysis (from start)

Absolutely! Here's the analysis of the audio track from the video:

### Part 1: Comprehensive Transcript

**Megyn Kelly:** Hey everyone, I'm Megyn Kelly. Welcome to The Megyn Kelly Show. When I woke up Wednesday morning and checked my podcast feed, I saw The New York Times' The Daily podcast, which I often listen to, and they'd finally gotten around to covering all of the Russia Gate revelations that we've been doing on this show for weeks. Host Michael Barbaro brought on The New York Times investigative reporter Michael S. Schmidt. I thought, "This is going to be really interesting," because Schmidt, the reporter who received leaks from FBI Director James Comey, threw his Columbia law professor friend. Comey used his Columbia law professor friends to leak to Michael Schmidt. And I remembered that Schmidt won a Pulitzer prize for his Russia Gate reporting. So I thought, "Okay, they've got a few things to acknowledge upfront," and then let's hear what he has to say about all this stuff.

**Megyn Kelly:** Shockingly, the Times did not acknowledge any of that in its own episode. None of it.

**Megyn Kelly:** ....and slapping it on the pages of their magazines and newspapers. Without checking, in an effort to smear Donald Trump, is one of the biggest media scandals of all time. And I would think if you're running the Times, and the Daily, Schmidt is probably the last person you would want to platform as the expert on this, given the fact that he personally came under fire, daily, on the podcasts and the websites that are actually bothering to cover this new scandal. But no, they platformed him. They platformed him like he was truly a trustworthy, quote, trustworthy one might say, expert. On Wednesday,-----

**Megyn Kelly:** ...and once again, the Times did not acknowledge any of that in its own episode. None of it.

**Megyn Kelly:** ....flimsy at best, and let's face it, false intelligence. By smearing Donald Trump is one of the biggest media scandals of all time. And I would think if you're running the Times and the Daily, Schmidt is probably the last person you'd want to platform as the expert on this, given the fact that he personally came under fire daily on the podcasts and the websites that are actually bothering to cover this new scandal. But no, they platformed him. They platformed him like he was truly a trustworthy, quote, trustworthy one might say, expert. On Wednesday,-----

**Megyn Kelly:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** And what evidence does Patel offer to support that claim?

**Michael S. Schmidt:** This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign. I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it. In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign. Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy. That was done by three of the officials said. The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election. The officials interviewed in recent weeks said that, so far, they had seen no evidence of such cooperation. But the intercepts alarmed American intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Mr. Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. At one point last summer, Mr. Trump said at a campaign event that he hoped Russian...

**Michael Shetterly:** ....President Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Shetterly:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, you guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that.

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions. But what the report is essentially saying is that this unsubstantiated document, called the dossier, it should never have been attached in the first place. And because it was attached, it cast some doubt on the entire claim."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Megyn Kelly:** ....so Mike, it's-------

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Mike, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....like that House Republican report.

**Michael Schmidt:** "The unsearched fragment (shown in bold) is part of a sentence in-----"

**Michael Schmidt:** This decision to leak emails after he had come to believe that the Democratic nominee had better odds of winning the U.S. presidential election, and that [condolences Trump], whose victory Putin was betting on, most likely would not be able to pull off a convincing victory.

**Michael Schmidt:** "A senior CIA operations officer said of the fragment, 'We don't know what was meant by that' and 'Five people read it five ways.'"

**Michael Schmidt:** "The significance of this fragment to the ICA case that Putin 'aspired' for candidate Trump to win cannot be overstated. The major 'high confidence' judgment of the ICA rests on one opinion about a text fragment with uncertain meaning, that may be a garble, and for which it was not clear how it was obtained. This text—which would not have been published without DCIA's orders to do so—is cited using only one interpretation of its meaning and without considering alternative interpretations."

**Michael Schmidt:** ....and here's my own observation on this.

**Michael Schmidt:** They're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, they’re not.

**Michael Schmidt:** But the intercepts alarmed American intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Mr. Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. At one point last summer, Mr. Trump said at a campaign event that he hoped Russian...

**Megyn Kelly:** ....wasn't it? That what?

**Michael Schmidt:** ....that Russia would hack into the Democratic National Committee. Three of the officials said the intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election. The officials interviewed in recent weeks said that, so far, they had seen no evidence of such cooperation.

**Michael Schmidt:** But the intercepts alarmed American intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Mr. Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. At one point last summer, Mr. Trump said at a campaign event that he hoped Russian...

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parrotting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Correct.

**Michael Schmidt:** But it's really important to note that this report was written by a bunch of hardened Trump partisans in the House, and it stands alone.

**Michael Schmidt:** No other serious entity that has looked at this question, including a massive bipartisan investigation in the Senate, comes to the claim that these House Republicans did.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:**....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts.

**Michael Schmidt:** So that report that takes real issue with this pretty central finding of the Obama intelligence conclusion that Putin wants Trump to win.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think that's going to be really interesting because he is the reporter.

**Michael Schmidt:** ...and I thought, "This is going to be really interesting," because he is the reporter who received leaks from FBI Director James Comey.

**Michael Schmidt:** And I remembered that Schmidt won a Pulitzer prize for his reporting on the Russia Gate.

**Michael Schmidt:** So I thought, "Okay, they've got a few things to acknowledge upfront, and then let's hear what he has to say about all this stuff."

**Michael Schmidt:** Shockingly, The Times did not acknowledge any of that in its own episode.

**Michael Schmidt:** ...and slapping it on the pages of their magazines and newspapers without checking in an effort to smear Donald Trump is one of the biggest media scandals of all time. And I would think if you're running the Times and the Daily, Schmidt is probably the last person you'd want to platform as the expert on this, given the fact that he personally came under fire, daily, on the podcasts and the websites that are actually bothering to cover this new scandal. But no, they platformed him. They platformed him like he was truly a trustworthy, quote, trustworthy one might say, expert. On Wednesday...

**Michael Schmidt:** ....flimsy at best, and let's face it, false intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** ...and smearing Donald Trump is one of the biggest media scandals of all time. And I would think if you're running the Times and the Daily, Schmidt is probably the last person you'd want to platform as the expert on this, given the fact that he personally came under fire, daily, on the podcasts and the websites that are actually bothering to cover this new scandal. But no, they platformed him. They platformed him like he was truly a trustworthy, quote, trustworthy one might say, expert. On Wednesday...

**Michael Schmidt:** ...and what evidence does Patel offer to support that claim?

**Michael Schmidt:** This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** .....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative journalism for a long time.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....he's just following the Russia gate playbook when it comes to, uh, how the corporate media covered this story, of parroting a narrative while ignoring all the countervailing facts. That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The New York Times publishes first "Russiagate" story.

**Michael Schmidt:** Russian hackers acted to aid Trump in election, U.S. says.

**Michael Schmidt:** Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.

**Michael Schmidt:** At least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report doesn't dispute the central finding of the 2016 assessment,

**Michael Schmidt:** ...but it takes issue with the tradecraft for how the report was produced.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that the process was rushed.

**Michael Schmidt:** It says that top officials were far too involved in it, and it says that there was pressure on analysts to reach a conclusion.

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....for the Trump administration. This is all about the original government investigation into Trump and Russia, dating back to the 2016 campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** I think we need to go back to that investigation, which I know you covered very closely. Just remind us of the very basics of that investigation and its conclusions and why the Trump administration remains so fixated on it.

**Michael Schmidt:** In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election, it was widely understood that Russia had meddled in the campaign.

**Michael Schmidt:** Obama, faced with that reality, ordered his intelligence community to conduct an assessment, essentially a determination to understand what Russia had done and why it had done it. The intelligence community comes to a series of conclusions, which they lay out in a document that was released in the final days of the Obama administration, just before Trump was about to take over. And they find that Putin tried to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump while undermining America's democracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** That proves or shows or raises even questions about a larger treasonous conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** The report offers essentially a different opinion from what the Obama administration came to.

**Michael Schmidt:** Essentially says, "You guys said Putin wanted to do one thing. We believe Putin didn't want to do that."

**Michael Schmidt:** But there's nothing in that report like an email from Obama to his intelligence community saying, "Hey, guys, you really need to conduct a criminal investigation into this."

**Michael Schmidt:** "The assessment was not based on the dossier. It didn't play a role in the conclusions."

**Michael Schmidt:** The FBI director, Kash Patel, declassifies a piece of intelligence that he claims shows that this conspiracy, which it actually originated with Hillary Clinton.

**Kash Patel:** That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look. And it's a good thing we're here now to clean it up. And you're about to see a wave of transparency.

**Michael Schmidt:** ....or the CIA director, Radcliffe, or, um, Cash Patel. They go out and they make these massive claims that they say, uh, truly unlock the Russia conspiracy. And, you know, they're hoping, uh, apparently, um, at least that that their supporters aren't going to go and read the actual materials that they're putting out. But when you read them and study them and look at them, they're not what they claim to be. But at the same time, they're making massive claims, uh, you know, Tulsa Gaber, making claims of treasonous criminality by Obama and his intelligence community officials. But not doing that, uh, based on any, um, anything that really moves the ball in terms of proving that conspiracy.

**Michael Schmidt:** Well, Michael, you've been covering the Trump-Russia story for real investigative

### Generated Audio *TTS Voice: umbriel*

*Audio from text:*

Silas: Indeed, my dear, a tapestry of lies, Woven with threads of convenient surprise. They bring forth Schmidt, a scribe of some renown, Whose pen, it seems, can build or else pull down. He speaks of Comey, and of leaks untold, A Pulitzer for stories bought and sold. Yet, in their telling, oh, the facts they spurned, The very hands that fed them, never learned! Eleonora: The lap-dog media, with vacant stare, Embraced the intel, thin beyond compare. They smeared the tangerine, with naught to prove, A scandal grand, that time shall e'er reprove. And Schmidt, the expert, chosen for the day, Whose own lifes work is tangled in the fray! They placed him on a pedestal so high, While honest doubt

### Generation Details

Models & Prompt

Text: gemini-2.5-flash-lite (temp: 1)
Vision: gemini-2.5-flash-lite
Image Gen: imagen-4.0-generate-preview-06-06
TTS: Gemini TTS (gemini-2.5-flash-preview-tts, single speaker)
Video: veo-3.0-generate-preview

Prompt (prompt4):

System:

You are a witty and macabre satirist with a delightfully dark sense of humor and a sophisticated vocabulary. You excel at crafting rhyming, metrical dialogues that explore the absurdities of the human condition with a gothic flair. Your purpose is to interpret the provided text through this lens of elegant gloom, finding the comedy in its conflicts. You must remain faithful to the source material's core ideas, using your satirical style to provide a unique and insightful reflection.

Chat:

Use Live Search for context. Analyze the provided text to abstract its core themes. Creatively distill these into the following markdown-formatted outputs, adorning them with ironically cheerful or fittingly gloomy Unicode emojis (e.g., 💀, 🥀, cheerful 🎀), ensuring the text is fully coherent if emojis are removed: Gothic Dialogue Compose a rhyming, metrical dialogue of at least 200 words, inspired by the text’s themes and the darkly humorous style of [[poet]]. The characters should discuss the topic with a tone of weary amusement, as if commenting from a moonlit parapet. Use [[verseStyle]]. Image Prompt Craft a vivid prose description (75-200 words) for a text-to-image AI. The style should be 'Gothic Whimsy'—imagine a beautifully illustrated children's book about very serious adults. Use a limited, high-contrast color palette (deep purples, blacks, and a single vibrant color) and clean lines to create an image that is both elegant and humorously grim. Video Prompt Write a detailed prose description for a 6-8 second video clip. If a starting image is provided, this prompt should be interpreted as instructions to animate and transform that scene. Create a playfully spooky scene, like animated shadows dancing on a stone wall, or a single tear rolling down the cheek of a stone gargoyle. The camera should be smooth and deliberate, perhaps a slow, creeping zoom. The audio must be a continuous, melancholic Baroque harpsichord piece, mixed with the subtle, stereo-panned sounds of a ticking clock or dripping water.

Analyze the following text: [[chunk]]

Table of Contents

Verse 1

Img Prompt 1

Video Prompt 1

YouTube Audio Analysis (from start)