By Zeke Miller / Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he is “disappointed” with the Justice Department and won’t rule out firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions if Sessions won’t investigate Democrats.
“Honestly, they should be looking at the Democrats,” Trump told reporters before departing the White House on his 12-day trip to Asia.
His comments came after he launched a multi-part Twitter attack criticizing his former 2016 rival Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee Friday morning. “Crooked Hillary bought the DNC & then stole the Democratic Primary from Crazy Bernie!,” he wrote, adding it’s the “real story on Collusion.”
Asked if he would fire Sessions if DOJ doesn’t focus its investigative powers on Democrats, Trump said, “I don’t know.”
Trump continued: “A lot of people are disappointed in the Justice Department, including me.”
Earlier Friday, Trump said the American public “deserves” a federal investigation of Clinton and the DNC over a joint fundraising agreement they signed in August 2015.
Trump’s accusation follows Politico’s publication of an excerpt from former acting DNC Chair Donna Brazile’s upcoming book. Brazile alleges she found “proof” that the 2016 Democratic primary was rigged in Clinton’s favor. Brazile writes that she believes no laws were violated, but that a funding agreement “looked unethical.”
Late Thursday, Trump tweeted without evidence that he believed Democrats had acted “illegally.”
In subsequent tweets Friday, Trump highlighted criticism of the DNC from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, whom he has mocked by calling her “Pocahontas.” He also called on federal authorities to launch an investigation.
“Lets go FBI & Justice Dept.,” he tweeted.
The fundraising agreement, signed in August 2015 during the primary process, was unusual for an open seat and, according to Brazile, gave the Clinton campaign oversight of some DNC decisions. Months later, Clinton’s chief challenger, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, signed his own agreement with the party.
Trump and his campaign are subjects of a wide-ranging investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. The White House has repeatedly sought to turn the attention of the probe, which is looking into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, to Clinton and her campaign.
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