President Donald Trump wasn’t the only one taking a victory lap the day after the Justice Department announced that the long-awaited Mueller report found no evidence that the president’s campaign “conspired or coordinated” with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie on Monday morning that Attorney General William Barr’s four-page letter to Congress summarizing the two-year investigation is a “total exoneration” of the president. What’s more, she called on the media and the Democrats to apologize for “wasting” the past two years on treasonous charges.
“They are literally — the media and the Democrats — have called the president an agent of a foreign government. That is an accusation equal to treason, which is punishable by death in this country.” Sarah Sanders, White House press secretary
The exchange between Sanders and Guthrie got heated at times, with the “Today” anchor — who has a law degree and previously covered courts — arguing with Sanders that the Barr letter is not a full exoneration.
“Let’s be clear about what this report, what this letter is and what it isn’t,” said Guthrie. “It is a legal exoneration with regards to conspiracy and collusion. As to whether he obstructed justice, the special counsel doesn’t say … would you acknowledge that it is incorrect for the president to call this is a total exoneration?
Watch @PressSec Sarah Sanders' full interview with @savannahguthrie about the Mueller report findings. pic.twitter.com/bHrNWCiYpO
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 25, 2019
“It is complete and total exoneration, and here’s why — because the special counsel couldn’t make a decision one way or another, the way the process works is they then leave that up to the attorney general,” countered Sanders. She also referred to the two-year, $25 million investigation as something that “never should have happened,” adding that, “this should never happen to another president, and we want to make sure that the institution of the president is protected.”
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Guthrie also pressed Sanders on whether Trump owes Special Counsel Robert Mueller an apology. “For the last two years the president has absolutely eviscerated Bob Mueller, a lifelong public servant, a former Marine, a registered Republican. He’s called him a national disgrace, discredited, a prosecutor gone rogue who oversaw a gang of thugs,” said Guthrie. “Did Robert Mueller deserve better from the president than this kind of language and behavior?”
But Sanders said the president isn’t the one who needs to apologize.
“I think the Democrats and the liberal media owe the president, and owe the American people, an apology. They wasted two years and created a massive disruption and distraction from people, things that impact everyone’s day-to-day life,” Sanders said.
The interview riled up viewers on both sides of the political aisle on Monday, making Guthrie’s name a trending topic. Critics slammed what they saw as an obvious bias against Sanders and Trump.
#Savannah Guthrie is so biased, she doesn’t even deserve to be on TV, My last day ever of watching the today show
— Elizabeth Miller (@lizm0806) March 25, 2019
You go girl! Just watched you with savannah Guthrie. While she was having a temper tantrum because the report didn’t fit her agenda, you stayed calm, cool and collective. She is ridiculous.
— Katie Price (@katiebp24) March 25, 2019
Others, including fellow NBC journalists, praised Guthrie for asking tough questions.
Incredible questioning from @SavannahGuthrie, who herself is an attorney https://t.co/rs17WpyI8p
— Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) March 25, 2019
WOW I never want to be questioned by Savannah Guthrie!!! Bulldog Guthrie!!! Sarah Sanders never had a chance!!!! ❤️ https://t.co/2eP7sARx21
— Beth Dawson (@BethDaw37698020) March 25, 2019
Folks, Savannah Guthrie has a law degree. Sarah Sanders just lies for a living.
— Merlisa (@merlisa) March 25, 2019
