Trump campaign slams networks for airing 'outlandish, false claims' about Russian collusion

The Trump campaign's communications director was naming names on Monday, calling out specific television news guests who made false comments about alleged Russian collusion on air over the past two years.

Communications director Tim Murtaugh sent a memo to a number of television news producers on Monday. The subject line read "Credibility of Certain Guests."

What did it say? After Attorney General William Barr's summary of special counsel Robert Mueller's report revealed that there was no evidence that President Donald Trump and his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia to influence the election, attention turned to the numerous guests, analysts and pundits who made dramatic and inaccurate statements about what the investigation's outcome would be.

Those statements didn't go unnoticed by President Trump or his campaign staff.

"The issuance of these definitive findings comes after two years of Democrat leaders and others lying to the American people by vigorously and repeatedly claiming there was evidence of collusion," Murtaugh wrote in the memo. "They made many of these false claims, without evidence, on your airwaves."

Who was singled out? Murtaugh singled out six guests who went on television and accused or strongly implied that President Trump and/or his campaign committed illegal acts in concert with Russian operatives. For example:

On Aug. 19, 2018, Former CIA Director John Brennan said on NBC "I called his (President Trump's) behavior treasonous which is to betray one's trust and to aid and abet the enemy and I stand very much by that claim."

On Oct. 27, 2017, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said on CNN "There was obviously a lot of collusion. The question is how high."

What does Murtaugh want? Murtaugh suggested networks hold these guests accountable for their comments by first of all questioning whether any of them should ever appear on air again. And, if they do appear again, they should have their comments replayed to force them to explain why they said what they said.

"At this point, there must be introspection from the media who facilitated the reckless statements and a serious evaluation of how such guests are considered and handled in the future," Murtaugh wrote.