Trump insists again that Russia didn't meddle in 2016 election

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

President Trump is sticking to his long-held position that Russia had no impact on the 2016 U.S. election — even after Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals for operations including "supporting the presidential campaign of then-candidate Donald J. Trump."

Trump tweeted as much Friday afternoon:

In an official White House statement, Trump additionally called reports about Russia's hand in the election — including, apparently, those issued by his own Justice Department — "outlandish partisan attacks, wild and false allegations, and far-fetched theories."

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The indictment published Friday alleges that from around 2014 to the present, Russian agents conspired to "defraud the United States by impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful functions of the government," including "the presidential election of 2016."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.