President Donald Trump bluntly declared his attorney general should terminate 91裸聊视频渞ight now91裸聊视频� the federal probe into the campaign that took him to the White House, a newly fervent attack on the special counsel investigation that could imperil his presidency. Trump also assailed the trial, just underway, of his former campaign chairman by the special counsel91裸聊视频檚 team
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders scrambled to explain that Trump91裸聊视频檚 tweet Wednesday was 91裸聊视频渘ot an order91裸聊视频� and the president was not directing his attorney general to do anything.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 the president91裸聊视频檚 opinion,91裸聊视频� she said.
Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX. The Democrats paid for the phony and discredited Dossier which was, along with Comey, McCabe, Strzok and his lover, the lovely Lisa Page, used to begin the Witch Hunt. Disgraceful!
91裸聊视频� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
But Trump91裸聊视频檚 early morning tweetstorm again raised the spectre that he could try to more directly bring special counsel Robert Mueller91裸聊视频檚 Russia-Trump election-collusion probe to a premature end. And it revived the idea that the president91裸聊视频檚 tweets themselves might be used as evidence that he is attempting to obstruct justice.
Meanwhile, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani said negotiations are continuing to have Trump sit down for questions from Mueller, though the lawyer said, 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 not going to give you a lot of hope that it91裸聊视频檚 going to happen.91裸聊视频� He said both sides had exchanged proposals for conditions for such an interview, 91裸聊视频渁nd yesterday we got a letter back from them and now we91裸聊视频檙e in the process of responding.91裸聊视频�
Trump has raged privately in recent days that both the forces of government and the media are trying to undermine him. That includes trumped-up charges against his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and distorting the outcome of the Helsinki summit to make it appear he was beholden to Russia, according to two Republicans close to the White House not authorized to speak about private conversations.
Trump was closely monitoring news coverage of the Manafort proceedings, which provoked the spate of incendiary tweets, according to the two Republicans and two White House officials.
91裸聊视频淭he president91裸聊视频檚 not obstructing, he91裸聊视频檚 fighting back,91裸聊视频� said Sanders, dismissing the idea Trump91裸聊视频檚 tweets could be tantamount to obstruction of justice.
The most inflammatory of Trump91裸聊视频檚 tweets said, 91裸聊视频淭his is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!91裸聊视频�
The president91裸聊视频檚 anger came the day after the start of the trial of Manafort, who is facing federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion. And while Mueller did not bring any election-related charges against Manafort, the spectre of the Russian investigation is hanging over the Alexandria, Virginia, courthouse. And Trump91裸聊视频檚 White House.
91裸聊视频淧aul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders,91裸聊视频� Trump tweeted. 91裸聊视频淗e worked for me for a very short time. Why didn91裸聊视频檛 government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!91裸聊视频�
Later the president invoked one of the nation91裸聊视频檚 most notorious criminals, 1920s gangster Al Capone, and posed the question 91裸聊视频渨ho was treated worse91裸聊视频� while airing his grievance about Manafort being held in solitary confinement ahead of a conviction. Manafort is in detention after having his bail revoked because of allegations that he was attempting to tamper with witnesses in his case. Federal prosecutors revealed last month that he was afforded unusual privileges while in detention.
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Trump has spent more than a year trying to distance himself from his one-time top political aide, and to minimize the role Manafort played in his campaign. Trump91裸聊视频檚 protestations aside, Manafort worked on the campaign during a critical six-month period in 2016, during which he led the effort to ensure Trump won the Republican nomination. He oversaw the early days of the general election effort.
Sanders said Trump wants Mueller91裸聊视频檚 investigation concluded swiftly without intervention, though Trump has publicly mused as recently as May about interfering in the Department of Justice91裸聊视频檚 oversight of the probe. 91裸聊视频淎t some point I will have no choice but to use the powers granted to the Presidency and get involved!91裸聊视频� he tweeted then.
Trump has repeatedly belittled the probe as 91裸聊视频渁 hoax,91裸聊视频� as those close to him suggest he feels that any talk of Russian interference tarnishes his electoral victory and delegitimizes his presidency.
One of the president91裸聊视频檚 confidants deemed Trump in 91裸聊视频渁 dark place,91裸聊视频� seething about the longlasting probe and the media91裸聊视频檚 depiction of his White House under siege. Though long antagonistic toward the press, Trump91裸聊视频檚 anger toward the media has only grown over the past month, as he has berated coverage of his Singapore and Helsinki summits, the possible prosecutorial co-operation of his former legal 91裸聊视频渇ixer91裸聊视频� Michael Cohen and the Mueller probe.
After complaining about the tough questions he received from American reporters in Finland, Trump has largely steered clear of the mainstream media, instead opting for safer spaces like an interview with ally Rush Limbaugh this week. From the White House briefing room podium on Wednesday, Sanders declined to denounce the harassment of a CNN reporter during a Trump rally in Florida on Tuesday.
The president91裸聊视频檚 social media outburst renewed discussion of the significance of his tweets.
Rudy Giuliani, the president91裸聊视频檚 lawyer, stressed that Trump was just issuing an opinion, though he also said the White House believes 91裸聊视频渢he investigation should be brought to a close.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚 guess, if we were playing poker 91裸聊视频� we91裸聊视频檙e not 91裸聊视频� put up or shut up, what do you got?91裸聊视频� Giuliani said. 91裸聊视频淲e have every reason to believe they don91裸聊视频檛 have anything.91裸聊视频�
When pressed by reporters on how she tells the difference between a presidential order or an opinion, Sanders said Trump makes his intentions 91裸聊视频減retty clear.91裸聊视频�
But the line between registering an opinion or governing by tweet has bedeviled the White House from the start, even when former press secretary Sean Spicer declared tweets could be official White House statements. Earlier this year, Trump blindsided the Defence Department when he tweeted out a transgender ban for the military, prompting the Pentagon to slow walk the program.
Mueller already is interested in some of Trump91裸聊视频檚 tweets to the extent they raise obstruction of justice concerns. Though experts believe obstruction by tweet is possible, prosecutors have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a particular act got in the way of an investigation and that the person who did it intended to obstruct.
The president91裸聊视频檚 tweets on Wednesday were greeted warily on Capitol Hill, with most lawmakers, regardless of party, urging Trump to let the probe run its course.
No. 3 Senate GOP leader John Thune of South Dakota said, 91裸聊视频淭he idea that they should truncate it doesn91裸聊视频檛 make sense to me.91裸聊视频� Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut went much further, declaring. There is now highly credible evidence that the president of the United States is committing obstruction of justice in real time, right before our eyes.91裸聊视频�
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Associated Press writer Mark Sherman contributed reporting.
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Jonathan Lemire And Zeke Miller, The Associated Press
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