CNN’s Berman Yells at Papadopoulos: ‘You didn’t notify the FBI!’

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Former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos was on CNN’s “New Day” show on Wednesday and claimed that he was “horrified” after being told by an alleged Russian agent that the Russian government had obtained emails that would damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Then he got yelled at by his host.

““In retrospect, of course, I probably should have gone to some authority when this person told me this information,” says ex-Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, convicted in the Mueller probe, about the professor who claimed “dirt” on Hillary Clinton.”

Video:

During the interview “New Day” host John Berman strongly questioned Papadopoulos about whether he really felt alarmed about these revelations. He charged the convicted felon of just saying that now to rehabilitate his reputation — and to sell copies of his new book.

“You write in your book you’re ‘horrified,’” Berman said. “How horrified? So horrified that you went and told authorities?”

“That’s a great point,” Papadopoulos admitted. “And I told the FBI when they came to my house during my initial interview.”

Berman, however, wasn’t buying it. He pointed out that the interview referred to took place many months after Papadopoulos had been told that Russia had obtained Clinton-related emails. In fact, it took place after Donald Trump had already been elected president.

“Telling the FBI when they come to your house to ask you questions is different than volunteering it,” Berman challenged. He then raised his voice, expressing his disgust with Papadopoulos by saying:

“You did not go to the FBI or local police or anybody with the information that someone came to you with information that the Russians had Hillary Clinton’s emails, correct?”

Papadopoulos then was forced to admit that Berman was right. He did not volunteer any information to the FBI.

He did, however, weakly claim that he deserves credit for telling the FBI about it at all. Of course when he did, it was too late to make a difference.

Berman ended the interview by shouting:

“You didn’t notify them until they came and knocked on your door!”

George Papadopoulos is trying to get a presidential pardon, and he is trying to make himself out to be the victim of a “Deep State” conspiracy against him. That line of argument might work with Trump’s conspiracy nut, right-wing supporters. But it certainly won’t work with the majority of American voters.

If Donald Trump pardons George Papadopoulos, Paul Manafort, or anyone else convicted as part of the Mueller probe he will certainly pay the price politically. Any pardons he issues will do nothing but make certain that the defeat he will suffer in 2020 will be even larger.

CLICK HERE to watch the interview on CNN

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Leo Vidal

I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.