CNN fact-checks Spicer: Russian dressing isn’t Russian

CNN on Wednesday playfully fact-checked a joke by White House press secretary Sean Spicer about how desperate the media is to connect President Trump to Moscow.

“If the President puts Russian salad dressing on his salad tonight, somehow that’s a Russia connection,” Spicer quipped on Tuesday while reacting to questions about possible connections between Trump associates and Russian officials during the 2016 campaign.

A lighthearted CNN.com story was willing to play along: It looked into the history of Russian dressing and found that it isn’t Russian at all but actually was created in New Hampshire in 1924.

{mosads}”Thing is, Russian dressing isn’t Russian. (Also, it’s really not for salads, but more of a sandwich spread — usually a Reuben.),” the story reads. “Russian dressing typically is served with corned beef, Swiss and sauerkraut on a Reuben sandwich.”

“The mayo and ketchup concoction — often dressed up with horseradish and spices — was created in Nashua, New Hampshire.”

“So what’s with the Russian connection?” the story asks in the final paragraph. “Some say it’s because [inventor James E.] Colburn liked to mix in caviar, or perhaps because it sometimes was added to the Russian-inspired Salad Olivier.”

Questions about the Trump administration and Russia are invariably a prominent part of Spicer’s daily press briefings.

FBI Director James Comey confirmed on March 20 that the agency is investigating Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election, in addition to any coordination between Trump’s campaign and Russian officials.

The White House continues to state there was no collusion between Trump campaign aides and Russia.