David Jackson | USA TODAY

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NICHOLAS KAMM, AFP/Getty Images

WASHINGTON – In another push to downplay special counsel Robert Mueller's criminal charges against Russian nationals for meddling in the 2016 election, President Trump again went after a favorite target on Tuesday: His predecessor Barack Obama.

Claiming Obama did nothing about Russian interference because he thought fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton would win the election, Trump tweeted that "when I easily won the Electoral College, the whole game changed and the Russian excuse became the narrative of the Dems."

....The President Obama quote just before election. That’s because he thought Crooked Hillary was going to win and he didn’t want to “rock the boat.” When I easily won the Electoral College, the whole game changed and the Russian excuse became the narrative of the Dems. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2018

Trump's charge echoed similar sentiments he's posted over past three days after Friday's indictments against 13 Russian individuals and three Russian businesses, charging them with meddling in the election by pushing fake news using false identities on social media, including efforts "supporting the presidential campaign of then-candidate Donald J. Trump."

Though the charges said the Russians worked with more than 100 U.S. citizens to coordinate their interference, the Justice Department made clear that this latest indictment did not allege that any American was a witting participant in the illegal activity.

AP

Trump and supporters seized on this, saying it supported their claims that there was no collusion with the Russians who injected themselves into the campaign.

Mueller's probe is ongoing, however, into Trump associates' ties to Russia and whether the president sought to obstruct the investigation by various means, including last year's firing of then-FBI Director James Comey.

Trump, who in the past has questioned whether Russia was even involved in the election, also attacked Obama in a Monday tweet.

Obama did criticize Russian hacking during the campaign. After the election, he slapped Russia with more economic sanctions and expelled 35 diplomats.

Trump quoted one of Obama's comments in another tweet; in a third, he cited negative comments about his predecessor made on Fox News.