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Trump Says ‘WikiLeaks Is a Hoax’ After Mueller Calls His Praise ‘Problematic’

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Mueller said Trump’s previous remarks about WikiLeaks were beyond “problematic.”

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Mary Calvert/Reuters / Getty

After former Special Counsel Robert Mueller called President Trump’s previous remarks praising WikiLeaks beyond “problematic” on Wednesday, the president told reporters the group was a “hoax.” “So, WikiLeaks is a hoax, just like everything else. And all of those problems having to do with crime were the biggest hoax of all,” Trump said. “It was a witch hunt. It was a total witch hunt.” When asked by a reporter if he was concerned he would be indicted upon leaving office, the president called the reporter “fake news.” “The fact that you even asked that question, you’re fake news,” he said.

During his testimony before the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, Mueller said Trump’s remarks about WikiLeaks could have given “some hope or some boost to what is and should be illegal activity.” The ex-special counsel also pointed out that WikiLeaks was “currently under indictment,” and said Donald Trump Jr.’s communications with the group are “subject to investigation.”

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