New poll: Trump tried to block Russia probe
Majority of Americans believes president obstructed justice
President Donald Trump responded angrily to reports he is under criminal investigation on Thursday, deriding a “witch hunt” against him led by some “very bad” people as a new poll showed a clear majority of Americans believing that Trump tried to block an investigation into his alleged collusion with Russia to win the November elections.
“You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history—led by some very bad and conflicted people!” Trump said in an early morning tweet.
Trump did not directly address the allegations that he is being probed for possibly obstructing justice—a potentially impeachable offense. Nor did he deny he has entered the miniscule ranks of sitting presidents who have become the subject of a criminal investigation.
“They made up a phony collusion with the Russian story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice,” he wrote.
Twitter war
Trump fired off on Twitter as a new poll showed a clear majority of Americans believed he tried to interfere with the investigation into whether Russia meddled in the 2016 election and possible Trump campaign collusion.
Following Comey’s blockbuster appearance in Congress, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll showed 68 percent of Americans are concerned about the possibility that Trump or his campaign associates had inappropriate ties to Russia. Almost half said they’re very concerned. Only 3 in 10 said they’re not that concerned.
Trump’s young presidency has been battered by allegations—under investigation both by Congress and the Federal Bureau of Investigation—that Russia interfered to sway the 2016 election in his favor, in possible collusion with Trump’s campaign team.
The FBI probe, now in the hands of special prosecutor Robert Mueller, shifted its focus to allegations of obstruction in the days after Trump fired the agency’s then director James Comey on May 9.
Trump admission
The new allegations against Trump centered on his own admission that he fired Comey because of the Russia investigation and suggestions he asked several top intelligence officials for their help altering the direction of the inquiry.
The Washington Post reported Thursday evening that Mueller’s team is also focusing on the finances and business dealings of Jared Kushner, Trump’s senior adviser and sonin-law.
The widened Russia probe could have far-reaching repercussions for Trump’s presidency, transforming his closest aides into witnesses and sucking yet more political oxygen out of the West Wing.
On Thursday an aide to Vice President Mike Pence revealed he was hiring Richard Cullen—a veteran of the Iran-Contra investigation, Watergate and the 2000 vote recount in Florida—as a private lawyer.
The latest White House crisis struck on the evening of Trump’s 71st birthday.
THEY MADE UP A PHONY COLLUSION WITH THE RUSSIAN STORY Donald Trump US president