CNN Reporter Says They Shouldn’t Cover New Clinton Tranquilizer Scandal [WATCH]

CNN’s chief national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny voiced his objection on Wednesday to the network’s coverage of newly declassified intelligence that includes claims about Hillary Clinton’s health during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The information was presented during a White House press briefing by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who referenced Russian-acquired intelligence that reportedly indicated Clinton was taking “heavy tranquilizers” daily during the election period.

The declassified material, released earlier this week, includes assessments based on Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails that Russia allegedly obtained.

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The intelligence report challenges prior conclusions made by the U.S. intelligence community, particularly the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), which asserted with high confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin had attempted to interfere in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump defeat Clinton.

During a segment on “CNN News Central,” Zeleny dismissed the significance of the tranquilizer claim and expressed skepticism about reporting on the topic.

“We should point out that these are some pretty far out there allegations — that the Russian intelligence community had information that Hillary Clinton was on tranquilizers at the time,” Zeleny said.

“This was in no way verified. We have no idea. I mean, this is hardly information that we should even be repeating.”

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Zeleny further criticized the relevance of the report’s findings, stating, “Never mind that it’s, you know, some years after the fact — eight years, more than that, after the fact — but also just to look at the source. But look, this is what this White House wants to talk about. And I’m not sure that we should spend that much more time on it, frankly.”

Despite the objections raised by Zeleny, the declassified material includes findings that contradict earlier claims made by senior intelligence officials under the Obama administration.

Specifically, the report indicates that key officials suppressed or disregarded reliable intelligence that challenged the narrative that Putin was attempting to help Trump win the election.

“The judgement that Putin developed a ‘clear preference’ for candidate Trump and ‘aspired to help his chances of victory’ did not adhere to the tenets of the ICD (Intelligence Community Directive) analytical standards,” the report states.

The newly released information calls into question the credibility of the January 2017 ICA, which concluded that the CIA and the FBI held a “high confidence” assessment that Russia sought to benefit Trump’s candidacy.

That assessment played a significant role in shaping the public narrative surrounding alleged Russian election interference.

According to the report, former CIA Director John Brennan ordered the post-election release of 15 intelligence reports, three of which were described as “substandard.”

These reports contained data that was “unclear, of uncertain origin, potentially biased or implausible,” yet were used as foundational sources in the ICA’s conclusion that Putin preferred Trump over Clinton.

The report further states that only a single “scant, unclear, and unverifiable fragment of a sentence” from one of these substandard reports served as the classified basis to claim that Putin “aspired” to help Trump win the election.

At the press briefing, Gabbard defended the decision to declassify the material, stating that the American people deserved to know the full context of intelligence assessments that contributed to years of investigations and political controversy.

Gabbard also noted that additional declassified information may be forthcoming and said that whistleblowers have continued to provide new documentation for review by federal authorities.