Trump doubles down
Trump in wide-ranging a.m. blitz on pardons, Hillary & O’Care
President Trump let it all hang out on Twitter Saturday morning, unleashing a blizzard of tweets on a half-dozen different topics.
Trump in his tweetstorm blasted “obstructionist” Democrats, complained about “intelligence leaks” and called for investigations into “the many Hillary Clinton and Comey crimes.”
“My son Donald openly gave his e-mails to the media & authorities,” he tweeted at 8 a.m. sharp, midway through the 10post tirade, “whereas Crooked Hillary Clinton deleted (& acid washed) her 33,000 e-mails!”
“What about all of the Clinton ties to Russia, including Podesta Company, Uranium deal, Russian Reset, big dollar speeches etc.” Trump asked at 7:47 a.m.
Trump reignited speculation that he could derail Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
“While all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon,” he wrote at 7:35 a.m., “why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us.FAKE NEWS.”
Trump also called on the GOP to get busy on his top priorities.
“The Republican Senators must step up to the plate and, after 7 years, vote to Repeal and Replace [Obamacare]. Next, Tax Reform and Infrastructure. WIN!” the presi- dent tweeted at 8:17 a.m.
The string of messages emerged less than 24 hours after the White House shakeup that saw the sudden resignation of press secretary Sean Spicer and the appointment of Anthony Scaramucci, a former Wall Street executive, to fill the role of White House communications director.
Scaramucci has advocated a more confrontational attitude toward the press and direct engagement of voters through social media.
He has suggested that the administration launch a daily morning broadcast from the White House lawn to keep the media from muddling its message.
Saturday’s Twitter tsunami was in keeping with that concept.
“Anthony Scaramucci was a pioneer of Twitter as much as Trump,” City Councilman Joe Borelli (R-SI) told The Post. “He’s more in tune with the era of Trump than I think Spicer may have been.”
“This is 100 percent the future of news and politics — a 24/7 dialogue of news participation,” said Borelli, a Trump campaign surrogate. “Washington is just going to have to adapt to Trump and his style of communication.”
Meanwhile, Trump slammed Congress by pushing for more defense spending at the commissioning ceremony Saturday for the new USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier.
“We need Congress to do its job,” Trump said in at the event in Newport News, Va.
“Pass the budget that provides for higher, stable and predictable funding levels for our military needs that our fighting men and women deserve.”
Trump wants $20 billion in emergency defense spending and another $54 billion for the military in next year’s federal budget.
“We want the best equipment, but we want it built ahead of schedule and we want it built under budget,” he said.
Senate Democrats want matching hikes in domestic spending for every new dollar allocated to defense — a nonstarter for GOP budget hawks.
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump While all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon, why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us.FAKE NEWS 07:35 7/22/17
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump My son Donald openly gave his e-mails to the media & authorities whereas Crooked Hillary Clinton deleted (& acid washed) her 33,000 e-mails! 08:00 7/22/17
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump ObamaCare is dead and the Democrats are obstructionists, no ideas or votes, only obstruction. It is solely up to the 52 Republican Senators! 08:23 7/22/17