In a letter, the Trump campaign's communications director called on the networks to refuse six commentators who claimed there was Russian collusion. | AP Photo/Susan Walsh media Trump campaign urges networks to challenge top Trump detractors

President Donald Trump’s campaign on Monday urged major news networks to not allow on their shows several people, including Democratic lawmakers, who have been critical of the president, adding that the networks should report the conclusions of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report as a “complete vindication” of Trump.

“The issuance of these definitive findings comes after two years of Democrat leaders and others lying to the American people by vigorously and repeatedly claiming there was evidence of collusion,” Tim Murtaugh, director of communications for Trump’s campaign, wrote in the letter to the networks.


“They made many of these false claims, without evidence, on your airwaves,” the letter continued.

The Trump campaign letter comes a day after Attorney General William Barr released a 4-page summary of Mueller’s report indicating that there was no conspiracy or coordination between Russia and the president’s campaign. In addition, Barr’s summary also said he did not believe there was enough evidence that Trump obstructed justice.

“The only way to interpret these conclusions is as a total and complete vindication of President Trump,” Murtaugh wrote — even though Barr’s summary quoted Mueller’s submission as saying that “while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”

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Murtaugh called on the networks to refuse six commentators who claimed there was Russian collusion: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez and former CIA Director John Brennan.

Brennan, who served in President Barack Obama’s administration, is a senior national security and intelligence analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. Trump has previously criticized Brennan and took away his security clearance last year.

Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has opened a wide-ranging investigation into allegations of obstruction of justice against Trump. Schiff is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Trump and Blumenthal have repeatedly publicly criticized each other.

The letter quoted those on the list as saying there was definitive proof that Trump colluded with Russia. All the comments listed were from appearances on CNN, CBS News, NBC News and MSNBC. None from Fox News were listed.

Trump has repeatedly attacked the media as “fake news” and labeled journalists “the enemy of the people.”

Murtaugh urged the networks to “replay the prior statements and challenge them to provide the evidence which prompted them to make the wild claims in the first place.”

“The American people have been bombarded by these accusations, through the media, for two long years,” Murtaugh wrote. “They have been told that their legitimately elected president had colluded with Russia — a claim proven to be false.”

“At this point, there must be introspection from the media who facilitated the reckless statements and a serious evaluation of how such guests are considered and handled in the future,” he concluded.

Eliana Johnson contributed to this report.