“Where is the Russia collusion?” an incredulous Steve Doocy asked on the Fox & Friends couch early Friday morning as news broke that the president’s longtime adviser Roger Stone had been indicted.
The trio of co-hosts tried their best to put a positive spin on the bombshell document, which laid out how Stone had been directed by the Trump campaign to communicate with WikiLeaks about emails stolen by the Russians.
Stone was arrested on seven counts from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, including witness-tampering and obstruction of an official investigation.
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“When you look at these seven counts from the grand jury: Obstruction of an official investigation, false statements to congress, and perhaps witness tampering, once again, where is the Russia collusion?” Doocy asked.
In his defense, he had not yet had time to read the whole document.
Ainsley Earhardt seemed more concerned that one of the most extraordinary investigations into the campaign of a sitting president may take a little more time.
“Everyone was speculating, ‘When is the investigation going to be complete? When is the special counsel going to wrap everything up?’” she asked. “What does this mean for that now? Does this mean it drags out for even more months? Because there were already rumors that it could end in February, that he could be turning in his findings in February—who knows!”
Doocy tried to answer, venturing: “This could be one of the wrap-up indictments.”
Co-host Ed Henry stepped in during another segment to point out that the charges leveled against Stone were pretty serious.
“People still—even if the investigation started unfairly or under improper terms, you still have to tell the truth to the FBI. You still cannot tamper with witnesses,” he said.
Lee Smith, of Tablet magazine, replied: “Yes. You have to tell the truth.”
Despite that, Smith added: “The Mueller investigation right now is being used as a political instrument against the president, against the administration, and also it’s being used as an attack, as an instrument against an American institution, an election.”
“The American people elected Donald Trump,” he continued. “They did not elect Robert Mueller as a fourth branch of government to continue to attack the election.”
