Trump ‘Lie of the Year’: Russian interference in US election

Fact-checking website PolitiFact explained Sunday that the president’s comments about alleged intervention by Russia in the 2016 presidential election was selected as “Lie of the Year” as it was a repeated claim with no basis.

"What we’re saying is this Russian interference definitely happened and President Trump has said several times that it hasn’t,” PolitiFact editor Angie Holan told CNN. “Well it has… And it really goes to the heart of American democracy and our elections and how we decide who do we pick to be our leaders in Congress and the White House.”

In its announcement earlier this month, the website said that there is “a mountain of evidence” for the Russian meddling, despite denial by Trump as well as Moscow.

“You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story,” the president said once. “It’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won ... This was an excuse for having lost an election.”

Trump and his lawyers have repeatedly said that there was “no collusion” between them and Moscow as an investigation continues by special counsel Robert Mueller into the matter.

The investigation was launched to find out whether the Russian government coordinated with Trump’s aides after the intelligence community’s conclusion that the Kremlin helped with the New York billionaire’s campaign effort ahead of winning the White House, an allegation dismissed both by Moscow and the president.

KD