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6 embarrassing things Carter Page told Congress about the Trump campaign

The House Intelligence Committee on Monday released a transcript of the nearly 7-hour interview with Page as part of its Russia investigation, giving a new picture of a man at the heart of the Russia controversy.

The U.S. government has had its eye on Carter Page, another foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, since before the election.

The House Intelligence Committee on Monday released a transcript of the nearly 7-hour interview with him as part of its Russia investigation, giving a new picture of a man at the heart of the Russia controversy.

And… let’s just say he’s not a suave super spy. We’ve rounded up some of finest moments from his conversation with Congress.

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“I’ve signed hundreds of NDAs”

Page has been talking to the press quite a bit since the election, which might alarm some folks at Trump HQ, as he revealed in his testimony he has no idea what the paperwork he signed with the campaign says.

Asked about a non-disclosure agreement he signed with the campaign in March, Page said, “I don’t know the terms and conditions of my NDA,” because “I’ve signed hundreds of NDAs. They are all a blur to me.”

Who needs a lawyer?

He made up for this ignorance by also not bringing a lawyer to the half-day hearing, noting he was going through “personal legal training” himself. Also worth noting, the testimony was made public because Page asked for it to be released.

He threw Jeff Sessions under the bus, twice

This “legal training” didn’t stop him from implying the top law enforcement official in the country may have committed perjury.

Sessions has said under oath before Congress he was unaware of any contact between the campaign and Russia. But Page contradicted that, saying he mentioned a July trip to Moscow to give a speech alongside the deputy Russian prime minister to Sessions as he was leaving a campaign dinner.

But not to worry, because Sessions wasn’t really listening anyway. Page said it “was sort of in one ear and out the other.”

The most substantive 5-second meeting ever

Congressional investigators asked Page about the speech in question too. At first, Page denied having a private meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich.

Until, you know, he didn’t. The hearing featured an email Page sent the campaign that said “in a private conversation, Dvorkovich expressed strong support for Mr. Trump and a desire to work together.”

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In explaining the discrepancy, Page said it was actually “a brief hello” that lasted “probably closer to 5 seconds to 10 seconds.”

Page wanted Trump to give a speech in Russia to “raise the temperature”

Sadly, his ability to give good campaign advice paled in comparison to his time-warping conversation skills.

In 2016, Trump was fuming after a speech President Obama gave in 2016 that subliminally dissed the then-candidate.

Page thought, even amid bubbling questions about Trump’s connections to and fondness for Russia, it would be a good idea to have him make a speech there to “raise the temperature a little bit.”

Steve Bannon was worried about Page talking to the media

Bannon called Page to get him to cancel a post-election TV appearance in January. Page, reflecting on his interactions with the public, said, “I am the biggest embarrassment surrounding the campaign.”