(CNN) Less than 24 hours after former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was sentenced to 47 months in jail for a variety of financial crimes related to his dealing in the Ukraine, the President seized on the sentence as some sort of validation of his oft-repeated contention that there was "no collusion" between his campaign and the Russians during the 2016 race.

"I feel very badly for Paul Manafort," Trump said before heading to Alabama to survey damage from the tornado that hit the state earlier this week. "I think it's been a very, very tough time for him. Both his lawyer, a highly respected man, and a highly respected judge, the judge said there was no collusion with Russia,"

Here's the thing: The judge in the Manafort case did NOT say there was no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. What Judge TS Ellis III actually said was that Manafort wasn't on trial for or convicted of "anything to do with Russian colluding in the presidential election."

That's, of course, not the same thing that Trump is saying. Judge Ellis is simply saying that Manafort wasn't tried for or convicted of colluding with the Russians, and therefore, his sentencing should not be regarded in light of the ongoing special counsel investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election and the possibility that members of Trump's team colluded with the Russians to help him and hurt Hillary Clinton.

There's a HUGE difference between Judge Ellis clarifying what Manafort was being sentenced for and the judge exonerating Manafort -- or anyone else -- of allegations of colluding with Russia.

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