While President Donald Trump has attacked the ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election and other related matters in the past, several tweets on Monday morning showed the president was moving onto the offensive, a contrast to a more reserved approach touted by his legal team in the past.
On Monday morning, the president sent four tweets lambasting the probe, which he called a “witch hunt,” including one that highlighted some possible anxiety about how the probe might impact Republicans in the upcoming 2018 election.
The tweets touched on “collusion,” obstruction of justice claims, the House Intelligence Committee, Special Counsel Robert Mueller‘s team, the FBI, and future elections, all hallmarks of Trump’s frustration with the ongoing probe.
“The Russia Witch Hunt is rapidly losing credibility. House Intelligence Committee found No Collusion, Coordination or anything else with Russia. So now the Probe says OK, what else is there? How about Obstruction for a made up, phony crime.There is no O, it’s called Fighting Back,” the president wrote in a series of tweets. “The 13 Angry Democrats in charge of the Russian Witch Hunt are starting to find out that there is a Court System in place that actually protects people from injustice…and just wait ‘till the Courts get to see your unrevealed Conflicts of Interest!”
Trump then pivoted to the FBI—the agency that has drawn the ire of the president, as well as his most ardent supporters who claim there is a conspiracy within its ranks to take down the president—before returning to the Mueller probe.
“Lisa Page, who may hold the record for the most Emails in the shortest period of time (to her Lover, Peter S), and attorney Baker, are out at the FBI as part of the Probers getting caught? Why is Peter S still there? What a total mess. Our Country has to get back to Business!” adding in another tweet: “Is this Phony Witch Hunt going to go on even longer so it wrongfully impacts the Mid-Term Elections, which is what the Democrats always intended? Republicans better get tough and smart before it is too late!”
The Russia Witch Hunt is rapidly losing credibility. House Intelligence Committee found No Collusion, Coordination or anything else with Russia. So now the Probe says OK, what else is there? How about Obstruction for a made up, phony crime.There is no O, it’s called Fighting Back
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
The 13 Angry Democrats in charge of the Russian Witch Hunt are starting to find out that there is a Court System in place that actually protects people from injustice…and just wait ‘till the Courts get to see your unrevealed Conflicts of Interest!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
Lisa Page, who may hold the record for the most Emails in the shortest period of time (to her Lover, Peter S), and attorney Baker, are out at the FBI as part of the Probers getting caught? Why is Peter S still there? What a total mess. Our Country has to get back to Business!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
Is this Phony Witch Hunt going to go on even longer so it wrongfully impacts the Mid-Term Elections, which is what the Democrats always intended? Republicans better get tough and smart before it is too late!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
The tweets show a different approach he seems to be taking in light of several changes to his Russia-related legal team.
Last week former Trump lawyer Ty Cobb, who reportedly had advised a more cooperative approach with Mueller’s probe, retired. Emmet T. Flood, President Bill Clinton’s impeachment lawyer, took over in his role.
After the announcement, the New York Times reported that Flood would advocate for a more “adversarial” approach to Mueller’s probe.
Trump’s tweets on Monday could reflect this change in strategy.
It still remains to be seen if Trump’s newfound combative nature will translate from tweets into action. While the president has reportedly considered firing Mueller in the past, he has been mostly silent on the issue since he said “many people” have told him to fire the special counsel in light of an FBI raid on his personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
At the same time, another new-Trump legal hire, Rudy Giuliani, hinted that the president could be interviewed by Mueller’s team, but could also that he could invoke his Fifth Amendment rights or ignore a subpoena.
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