Kansas senator who met with sanctioned Russians dismisses criticism by saying he didn't have a good time anyway

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) was one in the group of Republican members who celebrated America's Independence Day by going to Russia, has been called out by some for attending. But those criticisms aren't valid because people don't understand that he didn't enjoy himself while he was there anyway.

Speaking to the Kansas City Star, Moran said, "None of the meetings were easy or enjoyable."

BuzzFeed revealed Monday that the delegations also met with Russians that fell under the U.S. sanctions.

It is unclear if Moran meant to be dismissive of the judgment and was attempting to excuse it by saying he didn't enjoy himself, however.

“I think it’s clear that the Russian media or the Russian government have a narrative that they’re trying to portray,” he said. “I don’t believe the Russians when they say they didn’t interfere with the elections, and I don’t believe them when they portray the meetings so different from how they occurred.”

The eight lawmakers who flew to Moscow did not hold any press conferences revealing what was discussed nor did they publicly demand answers from Russia on the hacking of the American power grid or the 2016 election. It's still unclear what the purpose of the meeting was or why it was scheduled on a holiday celebrating American independence.

Read the full interview with Moran at the Kansas City Star.