Donald Trump tries to deflect from Mike Flynn scandal with claims of media conspiracy
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Donald Trump tried to deflect attention away from the unfolding scandal surrounding one of his chief aides today by claiming the media was engaged in a conspiracy with the FBI and National Security Agency (NSA).
Mike Flynn, who resigned late Monday night, admitted misleading the Vice President over a phone call with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office, during which he discussed sanctions placed on the country in retaliation for their alleged interference in November’s election.
And it has since emerged that Flynn was questioned by the FBI in the days following the call.
(Photo: AFP)
If he was found to have misled investigators, as he admits he misled Vice President Pence and others, he could face criminal prosecution.
But in a flurry of tweets sent early this morning, the President claimed news outlets were driven by “blind hatred” in their reporting of disgraced former advisor Mike Flynn, who quit yesterday.
Trump attempted to divert legitimate interest from the unfolding scandal, insisting the real story is “illegal” leaks from the intelligence community to US newspapers, rather than one of his top aides negotiating dispute with a foreign government before he was in office, in apparent breach of the 1799 Logan Act, misleading the President and Vice President and possibly misleading federal investigators.
Tweeting this morning, Trump referenced Bloomberg’s Eli Lake, who said on Fox News last night that the NSA and FBI should not “interfere in our politics.”
This is a remarkable about face from the President, who during his campaign urged the FBI to investigate Hillary Clinton ’s legal (if ill-advised) use of a private email server.
And he welcomed FBI director James Comey’s eleventh-hour intervention in the campaign, with the eventually fruitless - but politically damaging - investigation into emails discovered on the laptop of Clinton aide Huma Abedin.
Secretary Clinton was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing.
Trump also used his well-worn insult of the New York Times, dismissing it as “failing.”
In fact, the New York Times has seen soaring subscription figures, as growth increased tenfold after Trump’s election.