Carter Page appeared on TV again Tuesday morning to discuss his role in the Trump campaign and his contacts with Russia -- which prompted a fundamental question from MSNBC's Hallie Jackson.
The former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser explained to ABC's "Good Morning America" that he was one of many informal advisers to the Kremlin, which he boasted about in a 2013 letter.
But that did little to help Jackson understand how Page was handling the scrutiny he found himself under in the special counsel probe of Trump campaign ties to Russia.
"Why is Carter Page still talking?" Jackson asked.
Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said there was a simple explanation.
"Because he's stupid," Steele said, laughing. "He's clearly not listening to any legal counsel. It's a guy who thinks he's playing a game. What the hell?"
He said Page repeatedly made incriminating public comments that he then tried to walk back in subsequent TV appearances, and Steele said his actions were baffling.
"It's crazy, it makes no sense," Steele said. "I'm sorry it's just so silly."
Daily Beast political reporter Betsy Woodruff said Page's actions were more than just baffling.
"Carter page's behavior in this situation is indicative of him having some pretty serious issues," Woodruff said. "People who make responsible decisions for themselves don't go into interviews with the House Intelligence Committee without a lawyer. That's incredibly irresponsible, and any person who had insight on this process would tell Carter that. The decisions he's making are self-destructive and indicative of some issues."
