While most observers described Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s news conference in Russia as forceful, CNN’s Dana Bash saw more evidence to support the Trump-Putin ties storyline.

The Left has been convinced for months that President Donald Trump — despite no evidence — colluded with Russia to commit cybercrimes against Democratic Party officials to tilt the 2016 election to the Republicans.

“I think that the fact that he didn’t gives some ammunition to people who are looking for a conspiracy theory.”

Bash focused on the fact that Tillerson did not present Russian President Vladimir Putin or other officials with evidence to prove the U.S. assertion that the Russian government orchestrated an effort to meddle in the election campaign.

“Why didn’t the secretary of state bring that evidence to Russia and present it to them as a way to show that they’re not gonna stand for it? I think that the fact that he didn’t gives some ammunition to people who are looking for a conspiracy theory,” she said. “Not that there is any there, there, not that we have any evidence of collusion. But it is certainly a big question mark why he didn’t take this first opportunity to do this when this issue had been enveloping the American political discussion.”

Tillerson said during his joint news conference in Moscow that he makes a distinction between cyber operations to shut down a weapons system, as the United States has done with the Iranian nuclear program, and using the technology to interfere in another country’s election.

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“As to the question of the interference with the election, that is fairly well-established in the United States. That has been spoken to … with the Congress,” he said. “It is a serous issue. It’s one that we know is serious enough to attract additional sanctions. So we are mindful of the seriousness of that particular interference with our elections. And I’m sure that Russia is mindful as well.”

Even Bash’s fellow CNN journalists said it was understandable that Tillerson did not use his time with Putin to present specific evidence of Russian involvement in cyber break-ins of the Democratic National Committee and the Gmail account of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman.

“Maybe the election isn’t what Secretary Tillerson was going to talk about … The more immediate issue is Syria,” said Elise Labott, global affairs correspondent for the cable network.

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Labott said the U.S.-Russia relationship will be different than when former Secretary of State John Kerry got “run around by Lavrov.” Tillerson is taking a different tone, she said.

“Even though there is so much tension, I think the U.S. relationship with Russia’s going to be in a much more honest place now,” she said.

Michelle Kosinski, CNN’s senior diplomatic correspondent, said focusing on the specific evidence behind U.S. election meddling allegations could have derailed higher priorities.

“I don’t think, for that reason, this was the time or the place to bring hard evidence. Those accusations have been out there for a long time,” she said. “The U.S. has stated clearly what its position is there.”