With recent Senate committee appearances by former FBI director James Comey and current Attorney General Jeff Sessions, newspapers found themselves reporting on actual testimony for a couple of days and not leaks from anonymous sources.
That didn’t last long, as the Washington Post is reporting Wednesday night that “officials say” special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating President Donald Trump for possible obstruction of justice. And here we’d been led to believe this whole thing was about collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians.
It's going to be hilarious when the special counsel finds no collusion with Russia, but obstruction of the probe into Russian collusion.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) June 14, 2017
? ??WaPo Scoop: Special counsel Mueller is investigating Trump for possible obstruction of justice. https://t.co/syaKaM1kI4
— Ashley Parker (@AshleyRParker) June 14, 2017
The special counsel on Russia probe now looking at whether Trump attempted to obstruct justice. @washingtonpost https://t.co/KUAfj7hdsq
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 14, 2017
WP: The President of the United States is now personally under investigation — & the news broke on his 71st birthday https://t.co/5cXsZ0ExwU
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 14, 2017
Own-goal of epic proportions https://t.co/E46436qaza
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 14, 2017
These things always widen, never constrict. I predicted this weeks ago. Investigators ferret out crime even where it doesn't exist.
— Fred Fredburger (@ShackledSpeech) June 14, 2017
The Washington Post reports:
The move by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to investigate Trump’s conduct marks a major turning point in the nearly year-old FBI investigation, which until recently focused on Russian meddling during the presidential campaign and on whether there was any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Investigators have also been looking for any evidence of possible financial crimes among Trump associates, officials said.
Comey strongly hinted at this the other day. Now Wash Post reports the special counsel is investigating POTUS for obstruction of justice https://t.co/tOjlCRgLM2
— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) June 14, 2017
Another line in the story: "Investigators have also been looking for any evidence of possible financial crimes among Trump associates"
— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) June 14, 2017
Trump’s legal team is pushing back against the leak.
Attorneys for @realDonaldTrump decry another leak of information – this one from the Mueller probe that @POTUS is under investigation
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) June 14, 2017
Response from Kasowitz's office: "The FBI leak of information regarding the president is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal.” https://t.co/RbBRvfy9cQ
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 14, 2017
Trump legal team pushes back at report Special Counsel Mueller looking at evidence of possible obstruction against @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/lNdUqMCbAr
— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) June 14, 2017
Trump lawyer response to WAPO report doesn't push back on the claim that POTUS is under investigation. pic.twitter.com/xAQfcHcuH9
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) June 14, 2017
Kasowitz spox hits FBI for POTUS obstruct story:“The FBI leak of information regarding the President is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal"
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 14, 2017
So you're saying it's true? https://t.co/7b9B1aWo77
— Binyamin Appelbaum (@BCAppelbaum) June 14, 2017
Not a denial… https://t.co/M3BfT0Y2bc
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 14, 2017
Crucially, they don't deny it's happening. They are just mad about the leak. https://t.co/vLxoP37XUQ
— Jessica Huseman (@JessicaHuseman) June 14, 2017
Trump allies argue these leaks justify firing of Mueller…who's investigating Trump for possible obstruction. https://t.co/KrQApeGx5F
— Paul Bedard (@SecretsBedard) June 14, 2017
The news about Mueller investigating Trump/obstruction is confirmation of what Comey suggested when he said he'd given his notes to Mueller.
— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) June 14, 2017
In summary: Trump was very mad at Comey for not declaring he wasn't under investigation, fired Comey, and is now under investigation.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 14, 2017
Interesting part: Mueller doesn't think obstruction issue is about Trump's word vs. Comey's, but about various kinds of potential evidence.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 14, 2017
Trump fired Comey in part for not announcing he wasn't under investigation. As a result, now he is https://t.co/sh0oTpsTF4
— Trip Gabriel (@tripgabriel) June 14, 2017
Craziest part about Trump being under investigation for obstruction of justice is that not only did he do it to himself, but admitted it.
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) June 14, 2017
Trump fired Comey and then went on TV to tell the world that he fired him for the Russia story. In what universe is that a good idea?
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) June 14, 2017
Latest Mueller story feels too much like the press pulling one of their "Quick! To the Narrative-mobile!" moves.
— jon gabriel (@exjon) June 14, 2017
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/875131429209899008
Not a lawyer, but how does one obstruct justice when no crime has been proven?
— DC Dude (@DCDude1776) June 14, 2017
my understanding is that impeding any investigation is sufficient, regardless of the outcome of said investigation
— Jason Pipkin (@jipkin) June 14, 2017
You can obstruct justice by interference in an investigation.
— The Beet (@DavidRitchie09) June 14, 2017
The obstruction thing is shady af. Comey says nothing to the AG, writes a memo, files it away, then leaks it anonymously after he's fired.
— Happy Thanksgiving & Epstein Didn't Kill Himself (@drawandstrike) June 14, 2017
Then, when testifying under oath, is forced admit it doesn't *sound* like a direct order, but he 'felt' that's what the President meant. ?
— Happy Thanksgiving & Epstein Didn't Kill Himself (@drawandstrike) June 14, 2017
Feels like they needed a narrative change pronto.
— Publius Tacitus (@PubliusTacitus1) June 14, 2017
#Mueller investigation would be much less problematic if #Rosenstein revises jurisdiction: limit it to CRIME. https://t.co/ZXSrktcYKu
— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) June 14, 2017
The iron rules of human nature dictate that this is not even remotely conceivably going to happen.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) June 14, 2017
On March 30, 6 weeks after the Feb 14 Flynn conversation, Comey reiterated that Trump was not a suspect in any investigation. 1/
— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) June 14, 2017
Trump fired Comey b/c wanted Comey to say publicly what he was saying privately: Trump not a suspect. Was not to obstruct investigation.
— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) June 14, 2017
Outrageous if can could suggest POTUS under investigation, & if he objects – based on WHAT YOU'VE PRIVATELY ASSURED HIM – that's obstruction
— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) June 14, 2017
Fun fact: The president could theoretically shut Mueller down on this by just tweeting "I pardon myself for obstruction of justice."
— Matt Ford (@fordm) June 14, 2017
What about the claim that leaks wouldn’t be a problem with Mueller in charge?
https://twitter.com/dmartosko/status/875122024267608068
I noticed that. Face it, anyway you look at it, the special counsel is part of the swamp, nice guy or not. You can't draw from the swamp.
— [email protected] (@DickFrakes) June 14, 2017
There may be more to this tweet than NBC News’ Kasie Hunt intended:
Remember how everybody talked about candidate Trump attacking gov't and how gov't would bite back? https://t.co/TxqMK2Xctc
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) June 14, 2017
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