Ari Fleischer’s thread about Trump, Biden, and Ukraine contained this tweet mentioning what Barack Obama was caught on a hot mic saying to Dmitry Medvedev before the 2012 election:
8. Bottom line: If POTUS called on a foreign nation to investigate Biden, it was inappropriate. But so too was Obama asking Putin to help his re-election so he could have more flexibility after the election
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) September 23, 2019
Ex Obama admin flack Jen Psaki immediately rushed into spin mode:
SUGGESTED EDITS (BOLD)8. Bottom line: SINCE POTUS ADMITTED TO callING on a foreign nation to investigate Biden, WE SHOULD AGREE it was BEYOND inappropriate. But EVEN AS A REPUBLICAN I ADMIT Obama WOULD NEVER HAVE askED Putin to help his re-election https://t.co/l0RSRWcdkK
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) September 23, 2019
Fleischer wasn’t backing away, and in fact called out other Dems for defending Obama on that front:
Interesting to see how many Ds and liberal reporters are rusing to defend Obama from the charge he asked Putin to help his re-election. But that's precisely what O did. On missile defense, O asked for "space" until the election. That ask was an inappropriate request for help. https://t.co/t48sCivaF5
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) September 23, 2019
Here’s the video from 2012: