Trump Acknowledges He Is Under Investigation in Russia Inquiry

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON President Trump acknowledged publicly for the first time Friday that he is under investigation in the expanding inquiry into Russian influence in the election and 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 is being investigated for his decision to fire James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director. And he appeared to accuse Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, of leading a witch hunt.

"I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2017 "

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.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/us/politics/trump-investigation-comey-russia.html

---

Will need the "Big Bus" for who will be thrown under one shortly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?vbPpBGsFddao

[Cracklin Charlie]

1. Is this gonna be a crazy day?

I have a summer cold.

Not sure my swirly brain can keep up today.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. It's Friday and the pressure is on

His birthday party was "spoiled" so now he is going to get "revenge" once he is done his temper tantrum.

[mucifer]

3. I'm hoping he will be investigated for collusion and not just obstruction.

Time will tell.

[titaniumsalute]

18. Will it be collusion, obstruction, or better yet abuse of power?

Abuse of power is the most impeachable offense actually.

[cstanleytech]

4. Question is will the investigation find that he knowingly committed a crime either

of seeking the aid of a foreign power to assist him in the elections or for obstructing justice and the option which we had better put our big boy pants on is that they find no evidence to warrant any charges.

[Botany]

5. Collusion and Obstruction; Trump told the Russians that he fired Comey to take the heat off.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/19/us/politics/trump-russia-comey.html


WASHINGTON — President Trump told Russian officials in the Oval Office this month that firing the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, had relieved “great pressure” on him, according to a document summarizing the meeting.

“I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job,” Mr. Trump said, according to the document, which was read to The New York Times by an American official. “I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.”

Mr. Trump added, “I’m not under investigation.”

The conversation, during a May 10 meeting — the day after he fired Mr. Comey — reinforces the notion that the president dismissed him primarily because of the bureau’s investigation into possible collusion between Mr. Trump’s campaign and Russian operatives. Mr. Trump said as much in one televised interview, but the White House has offered changing justifications for the firing.

The comments represented an extraordinary moment in the investigation, which centers in part on the administration’s contacts with Russian officials: A day after firing the man leading that inquiry, Mr. Trump disparaged him — to Russian officials.

[dalton99a]

8. +1

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Saturday Night Massacre Brewing

tomorrow? They've been building a political and PR case against Mueller and
DOJ all week. They are not ones to wait, and the PR will go stale as quickly
as the feeble BS is recognized.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. Father's Day is this Sunday

Wonder how big an army of advisors and other GOP ilk it will take to keep him from doing it.

I know people forget about him firing Yates too (although supposedly related to the "Muslim Ban" and of course since she was part of the previous administration). He may try to find others to "write a memo" justifying firing Rosenstein.

[bucolic_frolic]

15. short-term micromanaging with no idea what's going on

typical spoiled brat CEO

I think there was a Durst real estate developer tycoon too, never worked for anyone just
ran his family companies

pretty typical

CEO's who have worked their way up are a different story

[titaniumsalute]

21. They have been trying to build a case all week

However, for the first time, the Republicans in the House and Senate both seem to be coming out in support of Mueller and the investigation. I've heard a number of clips from CNN and MSNBC this week of Republicans (Graham, mcCain, Thune, etc.) saying they support Mueller and the investigation. Even Trump's own aides are telling him not to fire Mueller. Doesn't mean he will listen to them however.

[Le Gaucher]

7. I hope the FBI inserts a rectal probe up his stinky arse ..

My point is ..they should search everywhere and leave no stone unturned..

The should find more than enough to nail the bastard.

[Not Ruth]

9. Louise Mensch reported that he was indicted over a month ago

The Marshal of the Supreme Court told him that he was being impeached.

She is right again.

Which is why Rosenstein is going to war on her.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DCZ-zRLXgAATdt0?format=jpg&name=large

[yallerdawg]

10. The man who told him to fire Comey...

was Jeff Sessions!

"Therefore, I must recommend that you remove Director James B. Comey, Jr. and identify an experienced and qualified individual to lead the great men and women of the FBI."

Final paragraph of Rosenstein memo:

"Although the President has the power to remove an FBI director, the decision should not be taken lightly. I agree with the nearly unanimous opinions of former Department officials. The way the Director handled the conclusion of the email investigation was wrong. As a result, the FBI is unlikely to regain public and congressional trust until it has a Director who understands the gravity of the mistakes and pledges never to repeat them. Having refused to admit his errors, the Director cannot be expected to implement the necessary corrective actions."

Annotated:

Although the letter builds a case for Comey’s removal, Rosenstein never explicitly recommends a specific course of action, and never directly requests that Comey be dismissed from his job.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/rosenstein-letter-annotated/526116/

[BumRushDaShow]

12. I had thought of him throwing Sessions under the bus too

however that may come later. He was pissed that Sessions recused himself but he doesn't have anyone else (as far as I know) waiting in the wings to be AG (and the new person would have to be confirmed, which would be harder to do a second go-around)... So that is why I sortof dismissed that. Plus all Sessions claimed he did was pretty much "sign off on" what Rosenstein wrote but was not really "the author".

Rosenstein is low-hanging fruit.

[yallerdawg]

14. However, the Liar-in-Chief remains consistent.

The factual record shows neither Mueller or Rosenstein asked the moron in the White House to terminate Comey.

That would be Sessions.

And the mindless meanderings of an oblivious narcissistic sociopath saying out loud - "on the record" - that he terminated Comey to end the Russia thing is more proof of his delusional insanity.

He'll be gone soon - and will probably end up where all raving lunatics go.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Well he "inherited" Rosenstein but nominated Beauregard

Just saw where Rosenstein now is contemplating recusal himself - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10141800982

Copies of Beauregard's and Rosenstein's memos are here - http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/politics/fbi-director-james-b-comeys-termination-letters-from-the-white-house-attorney-general/2430/

What is notable is the elf's use of "fresh start", a term that he used repeatedly during his testimony and in the memo.

[yallerdawg]

17. "Sources say."

If the Mueller investigation includes Rosenstein's involvement in the Corrupt One's attempts at obstruction of justice, wouldn't it make sense - just as Sessions did for Russia campaign investigation - to recuse from just that?

[BumRushDaShow]

20. Right

If Rosenstein was "used" in what was a scheme to "obstruct justice", then he is implicated, even moreso if his "memo" was manufactured and disingenuous . He did include some valid justifications but then this goes to the issue of whether Comey went through the typical "employee-supervisor process" (I have had much training in that as a former fed) of "verbal" warning then "written warning" and so forth. That's partly why the lines of questioning at Beauregard's hearing about whether Comey's performance had been discussed prior to the firing and Sessions admitted that not as far as he knew. And even worse, Sessions admitted under oath that both he and Rosenstein had "agreed" there was "a problem" BEFORE either of them had even been confirmed in their current positions.

[ocd liberal]

13. So the buck stops....

somewhere over there? Over there? That guy?

[forgotmylogin]

19. So much for his "I am not under investigation" mantra.

He was practically adding it to everything he said. "I'd like a large pizza with sausage, and I'm not under investigation by the FBI...And were you aware that I won the electoral college and the popular vote?"

[BumRushDaShow]

23. It was his "spam"

[Sunlei]

22. Rosenstein & Sessions spilled the beans on you Mr. Trump. You should have kept Yates, :P

She would have just went after Russians/hackers and the Republicans who colluded directly with them. You made a mess with your big mouth.

[riversedge]

24. CNN: Trump says he is being investigated over Comey firing

Trump says he is being investigated over Comey firing


http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/politics/donald-trump-james-comey-investigated/?iid=ob_lockedrail_longstory_pool

By Kevin Liptak, Jeff Zeleny, Jeremy Diamond and Stephen Collinson, CNN

Updated 1:14 PM ET, Fri June 16, 2017

John McCain Trump Russia Watergate size_00001615.jpg
McCain says Trump scandal is 'Watergate size'
Story highlights

The tweet represented a remarkable show of frustration by a serving President
Aides said that the President had decided to take matters into his own hands

(CNN)President Donald Trump complained in a furious Friday morning tweet that he was being investigated for firing former FBI Director James Comey and seemed to accuse the deputy attorney general of overseeing a "witch hunt" against him.



"I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director!" Trump said on Twitter, calling the probe into him a "Witch Hunt."


The President's tweet sparked immediate speculation about the future of the official, Rod Rosenstein, who wrote a memo recommending Comey be ousted and also later approved the appointment of a special counsel -- Robert Mueller -- to lead the Russia probe.

A person familiar with Trump's tweet said the President was referencing news reports that he is under investigation and was not indicating that he's been personally informed by the special counsel that he is a target of the probe.
The tweet represented a remarkable show of frustration by a serving President, who is making no secret of his emotions as an investigation that started out as an effort to understand Russian meddling in the election appears to be moving ever closer towards his inner circle and narrowing in on his own conduct............................

[NickB79]

25. At this rate, no one will agree to work in his administration

If they have more than two brain cells to rub together.

You'd have to be crazy or a misogynist to accept a Trump job offer.

[BumRushDaShow]

26. That happened to him in the '90s in Atlantic City

when he was juggling 3 casinos and pissing people off left and right. He even got into a big pissing match with Merv Griffin when he was first entering the AC casino market. No one wanted to work for him. He ended up bankrupting and selling them all off, the last one (the Taj Mahal) sold just a couple years ago to Carl Icahn who literally just sold it himself back around January to Hard Rock.

[Maeve]

27. Tired of winning yet?

Schadenfreude--it's what's for dinner!

[Skittles]

28. he has been under investigation since BEFORE THE ELECTION

[BumRushDaShow]

29. He would never admit that. nt