In an interview with former Trump adviser Carter Page on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” host Christ Matthews drilled Page on his connections to Russia.

Matthews wastes no time in calling out Page.

“If the whole purpose of [the meetings with Russian officials] was sort of rapprochement between these two great countries, why wouldn’t you brag about it instead of hiding, with all this stuff about immunity, and all this stuff about 5th amendment rights, and executive privilege… everything is trying to be hiding. Why are you hiding if it was such a grand purpose which was peace?”

Page, in the midst of an ongoing FBI investigation into Russia’s meddling in the US election, has the temerity – or perhaps naiveté – to actually defend Russia to Matthews.

“The Russians have been lied to,” explains Page, ”with NATO expansion as a key element. They were told at the end of the Cold War that we’re not going to expand NATO. It was a verbal—it was nothing legal…”

Page’s comment comes on the heels of Montenegro becoming the 29th NATO member, a development that has incensed Russia. Regardless, his tepid defense of Russia for a “verbal” agreement dating back 30 years is hardly an excuse for the former Trump adviser to hide his suspicious meetings with Russian officials or seek immunity should he have to testify in a hearing.

While Trump and his advisers continue to stump for the Kremlin, they will only raise more eyebrows than if they simply avoided the topic altogether.

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