Murphy jabs Trump on Russia

Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday jabbed President Donald Trump over the ongoing independent investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.

While on a panel discussing the federal Opportunity Zone Program with Murphy, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker said that Trump had at one point bragged about the program, passed as part of last year’s Republican tax bill.

“I think he was told that the Russians liked the project,” Murphy said.

In a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, Trump again sided with Russia over U.S. intelligence agencies, saying that he believed Putin’s denial of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Trump’s statements elicited a wave of criticism – some blatant, some veiled – from Republican lawmakers frustrated with his insistence on taking Putin on the matter.

But, the issue wasn’t much touched on in the opportunity zone panel’s discussion, and Booker indicated he had not meant to present the opportunity for the jab.

“I was trying to behave,” Booker said.