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MSNBC Admits New Strzok Texts Are Damaging

MSNBC

Amber Athey Podcast Columnist
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An MSNBC panel admitted that new anti-Trump texts from FBI agent Peter Strzok that are set to be released in Thursday’s inspector general report are damaging to the FBI.

WATCH:

The IG is set to release a report about the FBI’s conduct during their investigation into former secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s emails. The IG reportedly concludes that Comey did not follow FBI protocol during the investigation but that his missteps were not motivated by political bias. (RELATED: STRZOK: ‘We’ll Stop’ Trump Presidency)

However, the report will also reveal previously un-released texts between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, FBI colleagues and lovers. In one text, Page asks Strzok, “(Trump’s) not ever going to become president, right?” and Strzok responds, “No…we’ll stop it.” (RELATED: FBI Officials’ Anti-Trump Text Was Missing From Earlier Document Productions)

“That is the first indication of a real political motivation,” MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell said on Thursday afternoon. “Julia, first to you, how damaging is that?”

Julia Ainsley, an NBC News national security and justice reporter, called the text a “gift” to Trump and explained that it shows Strzok and Page may have been trying to bring their political bias into their investigations.

“We know it’s okay for federal law enforcement agents to have political opinions as long as they aren’t influenced by them in doing their work,” Ainsley said. “But this text, and we understand there are more texts that will come out. We have confirmed that. Between these two. They will be in this report. They’ve not been shared with Congress before. These texts could be the most damaging because, as you said, Andrea, they show that influence in the investigations.”

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