Trump takes aim at Russia probe, calling it political

As a special WASHINGTON — counsel investigation into his campaign accelerates, President Donald Trump and his allies are trying to rally his political base with warnings that any outcome other than vindication will be an attempt to thwart the will of voters.

“They’re trying to cheat you out of the leadership that you won with a fake story that is demeaning to all of us and most importantly demeaning to our country and demeaning to our Constitution,” Trump told a cheering crowd in Huntington, W.Va., Thursday night.

“I just hope the final determination is a truly honest one,” he said.

He followed up Friday morning on his Twitter account by highlighting a cable news commentator predicting a national “uprising” if a member of Trump’s family is indicted.

Trump is going on the offensive in seeking to cast the investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s campaign in political terms following revelations that special counsel Robert Mueller is using a federal grand jury in Washington to help collect information on Russia’s interference and possible collusion by Trump associates.

In politically friendly territory like West Virginia and on sympathetic cable TV news shows, Trump is finding support at a time when he has complained that traditional allies have deserted him.

Two speakers at Thursday night’s rally also embraced Trump’s theme that the idea of Russia having helped his campaign is a “fabrication” being pushed by his critics and should be dismissed. Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump told the crowd it is a “crazy story.”