‘How Is All That Not Collusion?’ Acosta Squabbles with WH’s Sanders on Indictments

Newsbusters.org ^ | October 30, 2017 | Curtis Houck

[Kaslin]

With all of the news arising from Mueller Monday, the White House press briefing was guaranteed to feature tough questions for Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Naturally, CNN’s Jim Acosta chose to make his presence known, arguing that Monday’s indictments already illustrate collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia happened.. 

Acosta started off with a basic question for Sanders in how would she “describe” one of the indicted individuals (George Papadopoulos) “as having a limited role when there is a photograph of Mr. Papadopoulos sitting at a table with then-candidate Trump.”

 

‘How Is All That Not Collusion?’ Acosta Squabbles with WH’s Sanders on Indictments

Sanders brushed off the question, so Acosta interjected:

He was sighted by then-candidate Trump in a meeting with The Washington Post as to who his top foreign policy advisers are. That seems to fight against what you are saying and also, how is it not collusion when George Papadopoulos was in contact with various people who are promising dirt on Hillary Clinton and a series of events that closely mirrors what occurred with the President's own son. 

The White House official tried to jump in, but not before Acosta could drop this rather premature conclusion (even if it’s to raise a line of argument or try and trap Sanders): “He had contacts with Russians in pursuit of information that was damaging about the Clintons. How is all of that not collusion?”

Sanders reiterated the Trump team’s line that Papadopoulos was just a “member of a volunteer counsel that met at one time over the course of a year and he was part of a list that was read out in The Washington Post.”

“I’d hardly call that some sort of regular adviser or as you want to, you know, push that he is like a senior member of the staff. It’s — he was not paid by the campaign. He was a volunteer on, again, a counsel that met once,” she added.

The press room chaotically began shouting while Acosta followed up about “these collusion activities” seeing as how Papadopoulos “was pursuing information from the Russians.”

“Again, he was a volunteer. I think that's something you need to ask him. I'm not here to speak on behalf of the, you know, thousands of people that may have volunteered on the campaign,” Sanders shot back before calling on NPR’s Mara Liasson.

Here’s the relevant transcript from October 30's White House Press Briefing:

White House Press Briefing October 30, 2017 1:45 p.m. Eastern

JIM ACOSTA: Sarah, how can you describe Mr. Papadopoulos as having a limited role when there is a photograph of Mr. Papadopoulos sitting at a table with then-candidate Trump.

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: The President has thousands of photographs with millions of people, so —

ACOSTA: He was sighted by then-candidate Trump in a meeting with The Washington Post as to who his top foreign policy advisers are. That seems to fight against what you are saying and also, how is it not collusion when George Papadopoulos was in contact with various people who are promising dirt on Hillary Clinton and a series of events that closely mirrors what occurred with the President's own son. He had contacts with Russians —

SANDERS: This individual was on a —

ACOSTA: — in pursuit of information that was damaging about the Clintons. How is all of that not collusion?

SANDERS: Look, this individual was the member of a volunteer counsel that met at one time over the course of a year and he was part of a list that was read out in The Washington Post. I’d hardly call that some sort of regular adviser or as you want to, you know, push that he is like a senior member of the staff. It’s — he was not paid by the campaign. He was a volunteer on, again, a counsel that met once.

ACOSTA: [SHOUTING] What about these collusion activities, Sarah? He was — he was pursuing information from the Russians.

SANDERS: Again, he was a volunteer. I think that's something you need to ask him. I'm not here to speak on behalf of the, you know, thousands of people that may have volunteered on the campaign.

[EBH]

I haven’t seen a dossier on Clinton with damaging information...?

[Sarah Barracuda]

Someone should ask horses ass Acosta to close his eyes and pretend for just a moment, that President Donald Trump had given 20 percent of OUR Uranium to the Russians..then open his eyes and tell us how he would respond

[editor-surveyor]

.
Collusion has never been a crime.

Its how every deal gets started.
.

[Responsibility2nd]

Idiot. He should READ the indictment. And come back with a total of how may times Donald Trump is mentioned.

(crickets)

[Sasparilla]

Acosta is still smarting from the slapdown Trump gave him. He and other lunatic liberals are getting so desperate to find collusion. But, it’s illusive. They feel it’s so near, but in reality, so far away.

[Responsibility2nd]

SANDERS: Again, he was a volunteer. I think that's something you need to ask him. I'm not here to speak on behalf of the, you know, thousands of people that may have volunteered on the campaign.

_______________________________________________

Uh-oh Sarah. Be careful. The Rats will soon start investigating volunteers. As well as voters for Trump.

[MustKnowHistory]

When the democrats do it it is called opposition research. When a republican does it, it is called collusion.

[beergarden]

One thing about Sanders is that she really is intellectually superior to these lefty retards in the room. Spicer would have given up on the 2nd question. I am confident to say she has a hatred for these MSM scumbags and she just channels it through concise ass-kicking replies.

[gov_bean_ counter]

My wife and I colluded on what to fix for supper.

Cuff us Dan-o..

[Responsibility2nd]

Hey Acosta.....

[Texan Tory]

Yeah, I love how she is able to handle them. And she’s not even being tricky, she’s actually destroying them with the truth.

[Alas Babylon!]

...member of a volunteer counsel...

I don't know who edited this, but the proper word here should be council, not counsel.

[Responsibility2nd]

Liberals crack me up. They really do.

 

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

She should have said “Shut the hell up Acosta” and then pointed at a camera and said “What’s the word? THUNDERBIRD!” and then played this video.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt3-148NXl4&feature=youtu.be&t=16

[OttawaFreeper]

Indeed. Welcome to the worldview of the corrupt Media Party where they completely ignore the obvious about the Clintons and yell and shout about much ado about nothing concerning Trump.

[Responsibility2nd]

[x1stcav]

Collusion has never been a crime. Its how every deal gets started.

Your statement is obvious to anyone with an education.

Acosta and his fellow trolls are having a more difficult time controlling the narrative.

[Alberta's Child]

They use the term “volunteer” because the Federal statute about campaign restrictions is very lenient about what volunteers can do vs. paid campaign staff.

[Truth29]

Acosta should have long ago had his press credentials pulled by the White House and declared a non-person where by anything he did would be ignored by the Administration and if CNN ever wanted to ask questions again of Sarah Sanders, they should send someone else.