After his former national security adviser Michael Flynn plead guilty to lying to the FBI, President Donald Trump called out the FBI on Twitter and defended his role in the Flynn controversy, The New York Times reports.
In an early morning tweet on Sunday, Trump first addressed his thoughts on former FBI director James Comey’s May appearance before Congress, at which Comey testified that Trump had asked him to stop investigating Flynn a day after Trump fired him. Comey didn’t fulfill the president’s request, leading to his own dismissal months later. Trump’s first tweet claimed that he had never asked Comey to drop the investigation of Flynn.
I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017
The president later tweeted about the FBI’s reputation, accusing Comey of a “phony and dishonest Clinton investigation,” saying that the agency was “in tatters” and promising to “bring it back to greatness.”
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.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017
Following ABC News’ month-long suspension of journalist Brian Ross for presenting an inaccurate report about Flynn on Friday, Trump also called for the suing of ABC.
People who lost money when the Stock Market went down 350 points based on the False and Dishonest reporting of Brian Ross of @ABC News (he has been suspended), should consider hiring a lawyer and suing ABC for the damages this bad reporting has caused – many millions of dollars!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017
Ross’s on-air error came about when he reported that Flynn would testify that Trump told him to speak with Russians during the 2016 presidential campaign. Actually, Flynn was told to speak with them between the election and Trump’s inauguration day about ways to “repair relations” with Russia.