Donald Trump today denied having any knowledge of WikiLeaks after the arrest of its co-founder, Julian Assange.
The president was asked his opinion of the whistle-blowing website by reporters in the White House, to which he responded: “I know nothing about WikiLeaks. It’s not my thing.
“It’s not my deal in life. I know there is something having to do with Julian Assange.”
Only that’s not true. Not even a little bit.
WikiLeaks published emails in 2016 damaging to Democratic US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton that a US special counsel and American intelligence agencies have said were stolen by Russia in a bid to boost Trump’s.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump mentioned WikiLeaks over 140 times, with choice quotes including:
“I love WikiLeaks”
- October 2016 rally in Pennsylvania
“Getting off the plane, they were just announcing new WikiLeaks, and I wanted to stay there, but I didn’t want to keep you waiting. Boy, I love reading those WikiLeaks.”
- Four days before election day
“WikiLeaks shows how crooked the whole thing is. I love reading those WikiLeaks.”
- At a campaign rally 2016
As ever, Twitter was quick to point this out.
And that’s not all – during the same campaign trump even had a poster of Assange on the wall of his war room.
There’s even a video of all the times he’s praised Assange’s organisation.
Earlier on Thursday, Assange was branded a “narcissist” by a judge as he faced court after struggling with police as he was dragged from the Ecuadorian embassy.
The WikiLeaks founder gave waiting photographers the thumbs up through the window of a white van as he arrived, the Press Association reports.
He was greeted by a packed press bench and a full public gallery, also mainly made up of journalists, as he entered the dock at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
With his long, grey hair pulled tightly back into a ponytail, and white straggly beard, Assange looked older than his 47 years as he swaggered in wearing a black suit, and open-necked black shirt.
Assange saluted the public gallery and gave a thumbs up to one of his supporters, who was wearing a high-visibility vest and a pin badge featuring his hero’s face.
Remanding Assange in custody, the judge told him he will be sentenced at a date to be set in Southwark Crown Court, the judge added: “This is a case which merits the maximum sentence, which is 12 months in the Crown Court.”
He will next appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 2 by prison video-link in relation to the extradition case, which will be listed for a mention hearing every seven days.
In a final barbed remark, the judge suggested Assange should “get over to the US” and “get on with your life”.