President Donald Trump knew in advance that the Justice Department would indict 12 Russian intelligence officers for meddling in the 2016 election, but he still slammed the investigation as a "witch hunt" at a news conference in London on Friday.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said Friday that he told Trump this week about the indictments he announced charging the Russians with hacking the Democratic National Committee, Hillary Clinton's campaign and other party operatives to "have an impact on the elections."
"It was important for the president to know what information we've uncovered because he's got to make very important decisions for the country," Rosenstein told reporters in Washington. "He needs to understand what evidence we have of foreign election interference."
But Newsweek disclosed that President Trump bashed the Russia probe and said it would harm the relationship between the U.S. and Moscow in taking questions from reporters in London with British Prime Minister Theresa May.
"I think that we're being hurt very badly by the rigged witch hunt," Trump said. "It really hurts our relationship with Russia.
"I think that we would have a chance to have a very good relationship with Russia and a very good relationship with President [Vladimir] Putin."
Trump and Putin will meet on Monday in Helsinki, Finland.
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