Trump Acknowledges He Is Under Investigation in Russia Inquiry

[GennGreymane]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/u...pgtype=article

WASHINGTON — President Trump acknowledged publicly for the first time on Friday that he was under investigation in the expanding inquiry into Russian influence in the election, and he appeared to attack the integrity of the Justice Department official in charge of leading it.

In an early-morning tweet, the president declared that he was “being investigated” for his decision to fire James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director. And he appeared to accuse Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, of leading a “witch hunt.”

The tweet was the first explicit acknowledgment by the president that Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel for the Russia inquiry, had begun examining whether Mr. Trump’s firing of Mr. Comey last month was an attempt to obstruct the investigation.

And Mr. Trump’s apparent reference to Mr. Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia investigation because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from it, came just hours after an oddly worded statement from Mr. Rosenstein complaining about leaks in the case.

In the statement, Mr. Rosenstein wrote, without further explanation, that “Americans should exercise caution before accepting as true any stories attributed to anonymous ‘officials,’ particularly when they do not identify the country — let alone the branch or agency of government — with which the alleged sources supposedly are affiliated.”

The latest tweet came after a series of others in which Mr. Trump continued to complain about the Russia investigations swirling around him, and just hours after members of Congress from both parties gathered at a baseball field to call for unity after the shooting at a Republican baseball practice this week.

In two other early-morning tweets, the president insisted that no one has found any “proof” that he colluded with Russians to meddle with the 2016 presidential elections, and he once again assailed the news media.

Mr. Trump’s claim to have 100 million social media followers is an exaggeration based on adding his followers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram — many of whom are most likely the same people.

But however many people actually follow him on social media, the president clearly views them as a refuge from the barrage of newspaper headlines and cable news stories about the Russia investigations.

In just the past 48 hours, news organizations have reported that Mr. Mueller is investigating whether Mr. Trump obstructed justice by firing Mr. Comey.

The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Mr. Mueller is also investigating the business dealings of Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser.

Faced with a Russia investigation that appears to be broadening, Mr. Trump appears eager to use Twitter to undermine the credibility of the inquiry and to convince his supporters that they do not need to worry.

In a third tweet Friday morning, Mr. Trump repeated his assertion that the investigations are a “phony Witch Hunt” and bragged that the nation’s economy was improving quickly.

[Thepersona]

But wasnt trump exonerated last week by comey, as his own tweets clearly said?
this man mastered the art of repeteadly shooting himself in the foot... gotta check if he got any wolverine genes, because he has regrown his limbs (to shoot them again) like 10 times last week

[downnola]

I can't help but think that Trump, until this point, is so used to just powering through setbacks without much effort, that he's assumes he can also power through nuances, restrictions, and branches of bureaucracy that come with being president in the same way. He thinks he can manipulate the press the same way he did when he was a celebrity and can accumulate enough favor with the leadership that he can just do whatever he wants. I think he's beginning to realize that he vastly overestimated his capacity to bend the United States government to his will.

I don't think the man will be impeached before his 4 years are up. However, I do think it's possible he'll end up resigning in that time frame. Trump is in over his head and he's just now beginning to realize he's not going to get away with nearly as much as he thought he did.

[Bakis]

So.. another 2 months before he will acknowledge hes under investigation for obstruction of justice?

[schwarzkopf]

This is Trump, we honestly don't know what he did in that tweet. He may have just been referring to the TV reports he watches 100 hours a week.

To a certain point, his Tweets tell us what is on his mind - but that makes the serious assuming that he has a mind any more.

[Kujako]

So.. another 2 months before he will acknowledge hes under investigation for obstruction of justice?

No, we have at least two months of him denying what he admitted.

[Belize]

Good on him, the first step is admitting you have a problem.

[PACOX]

All he had to do was shut his mouth..

[Bakis]

Good on him, the first step is admitting you have a problem.

I just got a mental picture of the orange monkey at an AA-meeting

[Belize]

I just got a mental picture of the orange monkey at an AA-meeting

That's pretty insulting to monkeys

[Bakis]

That's pretty insulting to monkeys

And alcoholics too

[Edge-]

I would feel bad for the White House communications team...if this wasn't shit that a blind person could see coming a lightyear away.

Thank goodness Trump remains a gigantic fucking idiot, with no filter stopping him from posting the dumbest, most self-destructive shit on Twitter.

[Kujako]

I would feel bad for the White House communications team.

They knew what they were getting into when they took the job. Trump didn't just start being Trump this year.

[paralleluniverse]

It's a great thing Trump has such a big fat mouth.

In light of this tweet, I have a simple question for Trumpsters: Who's idea was it to fire Comey: Trump's or Rosenstein's?

[ohiostate124]

It's a great thing Trump has such a big fat mouth.

In light of this tweet, I have a simple question for Trumpsters: Who's idea was it to fire Comey: Trump's or Rosenstein's?

I believe that Rosenstein recommended it to him and Sessions.

[Edge-]

I believe that Rosenstein recommended it to him and Sessions.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/co...rticle/2623616

Nope.

[Daelak]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/co...rticle/2623616

Nope.

Don't criss cross his talking points! He may become infected with the liberal gene!

[Skroe]

Keep tweeting you orange son of a bitch.

[Garnier Fructis]

With how many times he's thrown Rosenstein under the bus now, he really will need to fire Rosenstein to fire Mueller.

[ohiostate124]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/co...rticle/2623616

Nope.

Ok but the memo, which made Comey look incompetent, influenced the decision?