‘FBI’s in tatters’: Trump’s strongest attack yet on his own spy chiefs

DONALD Trump launched his most vitriolic attack yet on the FBI yesterday, insisting that its reputation was in tatters.

In a series of early morning Twitter messages, the US President accused the agency’s former boss of lying about a conversation with him. The FBI is investigating claims that Mr Trump’s campaign team colluded with the Kremlin in last year’s race for the White House.

Mr Trump exploited news that a senior FBI agent was removed from the probe following the discovery of text messages suggesting he was pro-Clinton during the presidential race. The agent, Peter Strzok, led the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.

The President said this was an example of the bureau’s dishonesty and indifference to Mrs Clinton’s alleged crimes. He turned his fire again on former FBI chief James Comey. He tweeted: ‘After years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters – worst in History! But fear not, we will bring it back to greatness.’

He later tweeted: ‘Report: “Anti-Trump FBI Agent Led Clinton Email Probe” Now it all starts to make sense!’

Mr Trump said the new FBI director needed to ‘clean house’.

Mr Trump again denied former FBI chief James Comey’s bombshell claim that he had asked him to stop investigating former national security adviser Michael Flynn. If true, legal experts say the president could be impeached for obstruction of justice. ‘I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!’, Mr Trump tweeted.

Earlier the president had appeared to imply on Twitter that he knew Mr Flynn had misled the FBI long before he demanded his resignation, which he denies. The tweet could lead to a further allegation of obstruction of justice.