CNN host Jake Tapper on Sunday confronted former Trump campaign staffer Carter Page with evidence that he admitted being an "adviser" to the Kremlin.
During an interview on CNN's State of the Union, Tapper noted that a recently released FISA warrant said the FBI believes Page has been "collaborating and conspiring" with the Russian government.
Throughout the interview, Page repeatedly dodged questions about his connections to the Kremlin.
"The document accuses you of being a -- quote -- agent of a foreign power. Were you?" Tapper asked.
"Jake, this is so ridiculous," Page replied. "It's just beyond words. You know, it's -- you're talking about misleading the courts. It's just so misleading going through the 400 plus page documents, where do we even begin? It's literally a complete joke. It only continues. It's just really sad."
"Were you ever an agent of a foreign power?" Tapper pressed. "Did you ever advise the Kremlin or work with the Kremlin on anything?"
"Look, Jake, I -- no, I've never been an agent of the foreign power in any -- by any stretch of the imagination," Page insisted. "I've never been anywhere near what's being described here."
"But you have advised the Kremlin in the past?" Tapper asked again.
"Jake, it's really spin," Page opined. "I mean, I sat in on some meetings but to call me an adviser, I think is way over the top."
Tapper then produced an email in which Page describes himself as an "informal adviser" to the Kremlin.
Page laughed in response: "This is really nothing and just an attempt to distract from the real crimes that are shown in this misleading document."
"The application says you established relationships with Russian government officials including Russian intelligence officers," Tapper said. "You're telling me they pulled that out of thin air, you have no relationships with Russian government officials?"
The CNN host added: "You've already told me and this audience that you were an informal adviser to the Kremlin in 2013 and have relationships with government officials."
"Carter, you have relationships with Russian government officials, true?" Tapper said.
"Well, let's see what they are talking about," Page remarked, refusing to answer.
"I'm asking you a straight question," Tapper shot back. "Do you have relationships with Russian government officials?"
After the former Trump aide again refused to answer the question, Tapper noted that Page was directly contradicting the FISA warrant by saying he had never spoken with the Russians mentioned in the document.
"That's directly from the dodgy dossier," Page complained. "It's just absolutely preposterous."
