On Sunday, President Trump wrote on Twitter that he would be ordering an investigation into allegations that the FBI and/or the DOJ infiltrated and surveilled the Trump campaign for political purposes.
“I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes – and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!” Trump tweeted.
I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes – and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2018
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
The tweet caused opinion-makers, like conservative-turned-never-Trumper Bill Kristol, to attempt to make a federal case out of the president’s word choice:
In America, a president can order that a thing be done if he’s executing a law or acting within his discretion. And a president can urge or request something be done. But an American president doesn’t “demand” a thing be done. Demands are the way of autocrats, thugs and children.
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) May 20, 2018
But stakeholders in the war between the administration and the intelligence community had a more visceral reaction to the president’s tweet. One in particular, Obama-era CIA Director John Brennan, was so triggered by the tweet that he tweeted back a demand to Congressional Republicans that they stop the president.
Senator McConnell & Speaker Ryan: If Mr. Trump continues along this disastrous path, you will bear major responsibility for the harm done to our democracy. You do a great disservice to our Nation & the Republican Party if you continue to enable Mr. Trump’s self-serving actions. https://t.co/uAhgL6wfIC
— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) May 20, 2018
This in turn prompted other commentators to ask Brennan why he seemed to be panicking:
Why are you so concerned? What are you all so afraid of? These continued veiled threats, disinformation and ideological opposition is the true danger to our democracy. The disservice is the undermining of @realDonaldTrump a duly elected president and the people of the U.S. https://t.co/qvxY2k5D5B
— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) May 21, 2018
Others laid Brennan’s cards out on the table:
Mr. Brennan is among those senior Obama administration officials who may have civil and criminal liability for the illicit targeting of @RealDonaldTrump. https://t.co/u7ZVEcnMfZ
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) May 20, 2018
Meanwhile, the attempted coup against a sitting president continues.
(h/t Twitchy)
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