1/14/2019

ENERGY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump shot back at reports that he has secretly acted as a Russian asset, bragging sarcastically on Twitter about an increase in U.S. domestic oil production that he indicated had hurt Russia’s energy industry, a main driver of its economy. Trump cited a segment on Fox News’ ‘Fox & Friends’ that touted lower gas prices across the country, a dip that the generally pro-Trump program attributed to the Trump administration’s deregulatory push in the U.S. energy sector and its increased oil output…The president’s social media post appeared to be a jab at The New York Times, which reported on Friday that the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation into wheth er Trump was secretly acting on behalf of Russia shortly after the president fired FBI Director James Comey. Though the White House denounced the report as ‘absurd,’ Trump in an interview over the weekend did not deny the report outright, instead calling it ‘insulting.’”

Caitlin Oprysko, “Trump hits back at Russia reports by touting energy policies,” Politico, January 14, 2019 10:35 am