President Trump maintained Thursday that the Russia investigation had turned into a "witch hunt" against him, but refrained from directly criticizing the man at its helm or the appointment of a special counsel.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein tapped former FBI Director Robert Mueller to oversee the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, including the question of whether Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow.
"I respect the move, but the entire thing has been a witch hunt," Trump said Thursday during a joint appearance with Colombian President Juan Manual Santos.
"And there is no collusion between certainly myself and my campaign, but I can always speak for myself — and the Russians, zero," Trump added.
Trump also said the focus on Russia "divides the country."
The appointment of a special counsel comes with big risks for Trump and takes the investigation out of his chain of command. But it also benefits the president by undermining calls for impeachment or an independent congressional committee while allowing the White House to defer all future Russia questions to Mueller's office — if Trump can maintain that level of message discipline.
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05.11.2024