Trump was briefed about Mueller's indictments earlier this week - then on Friday, he called the investigation 'rigged'
- Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Friday said he briefed President Donald Trump earlier this week about the indictment of 12 Russians as part of the special counsel investigation into Russian election interference.
- Meanwhile, on Friday morning, the president continued to refer to the investigation as a "witch hunt" and said it was "rigged."
- The indictments announced Friday accused 12 members of the Russian intelligence agency, the GRU, of hacking Democratic emails during the 2016 campaign.
- Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Friday said he briefed President Donald Trump earlier this week about the indictment of 12 Russians as part of the Mueller investigation into Russian election interference.
At a press conference announcing the indictment, Rosenstein said he "briefed President Trump about these allegations earlier this week.
"The President is fully aware of the department's actions today," he said.
Meanwhile, on Friday morning, the president continued to refer to the investigation as a "witch hunt" and said it was "rigged," continuing his campaign seeking to undermine the validity of the investigation.
Trump also said he thought he'd have a "good" relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he's set to meet in Helsinki on Monday.
At a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May in the UK, Trump said, "I think I'd have a very good relationship with President Putin if we spent time together."
"I may be wrong. Other people have said that, it didn't work out. But I'm different than other people. I think that we're being hurt very badly by the witch hunt, I would call it the rigged witch hunt," Trump said.
Earlier this week, Trump declined to say whether Putin was a friend or foe but instead referred to him as a "competitor," drawing scrutiny.
The indictments announced Friday accused 12 members of the Russian intelligence agency, the GRU, of hacking the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the Hillary Clinton campaign during the 2016 presidential election.
Trump on Thursday said he would address the subject of election meddling when he meets with Putin.