GETTY IMAGES
US President Donald Trump has ramped up his attacks on the Russia investigation by demanding it end "right now".
In a series of tweets, he said Attorney General Jeff Sessions must halt the inquiry into alleged election meddling.
Mr Trump also labelled special counsel Robert Mueller, who leads the probe, "totally conflicted".
His remarks are notable because he himself has previously acknowledged the US Department of Justice should be free from political interference.
According to US media, some Trump aides believe that Mr Mueller will report soon on the findings of his 14-month investigation as they relate to the president.
End of Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump
End of Twitter post 2 by @realDonaldTrump
In a fusillade of tweets on Wednesday, the Republican president also lashed out at the case against his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, whose trial is entering its second day.
Mr Manafort's trial is the first arising from Mr Mueller's investigation.
Mr Trump also said Mr Manafort was being treated worse than the Prohibition-era Chicago mobster Al Capone.
End of Twitter post 3 by @realDonaldTrump
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders later said at a press briefing that the tweet is "not an order".
She described it as Mr Trump's "opinion", adding: "I think he's been crystal clear about how he feels about the investigation from the beginning."
Interesting timing
Analysis by Jon Sopel, BBC North America Editor
There is nothing new about the president's frustration, agitation and anger at the special counsel investigation.
But this is the first time in overt terms that he has called on the attorney general to fire Robert Mueller. The timing is interesting too - his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, has just gone on trial, accused of failing to declare the extent of his business connections with pro-Moscow Ukrainian politicians.
It also comes as the Mueller inquiry starts moving closer to the Trump family circle - in particular, the behaviour of his son, Donald Jr and son-in-law Jared Kushner over a meeting at Trump Tower during the campaign with a Russian lawyer who had close links to the Kremlin.
Technically the Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, can't fire Mueller as he has recused himself from the Russia investigation.
Ironically, one of the areas the Mueller investigation is looking at is whether the president has used Twitter to try to pressurise or intimidate his attorney general.
The president's tweet today might be seen as relevant.
Mr Manafort, 69, led Mr Trump's campaign for three months until August 2016.
He is charged with tax evasion and money-laundering stemming from his political consultancy work in Ukraine.
REUTERS
But Mr Manafort is not accused of aiding Russia's alleged attempts to sway the 2016 presidential election Mr Trump's way, a focus of the Mueller investigation.
The special counsel is also scrutinising whether there were any attempts by the president to obstruct justice.
The president wields significant constitutional authority over the Department of Justice since it belongs to the executive branch of US government.
But it has been a US civic tenet ever since the Nixon-era Watergate scandal that the agency should be free from political interference.
Mr Trump has previously acknowledged it is "the saddest thing" that he is not supposed to meddle with the law agency.
What's the reaction?
Utah's Republican Senator Orrin Hatch told journalists that many "wish the Mueller investigation would go away," but added, "that's not going to happen".
The third highest-ranking Senate Republican, John Thune of South Dakota, told reporters on Capitol Hill: "Most of us up here believe the process needs to play out, and it will."
Democratic congressman Adam Schiff called the president's words "an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight".
US & Canada
Ontario cuts basic income project short
- 1 August 2018
- US & Canada
US names 'sophisticated cyber-gang' suspects
- 1 August 2018
- Technology
Town dusts off typewriters after cyber-attack
- 1 August 2018
- Technology
No comments:
Post a Comment