FBI Trump
© Associated Press
Over the weekend, President Trump launched into what appeared to be an all-out verbal war with the FBI when in a series of tweets, Trump slammed the bureau for its reported anti-Trump bias in both the Clinton email probe and its investigation of Russian collusion involving the Trump administration. Among his harsher tweets were the following:
  • So General Flynn lies to the FBI and his life is destroyed, while Crooked Hillary Clinton, on that now famous FBI holiday "interrogation" with no swearing in and no recording, lies many times...and nothing happens to her? Rigged system, or just a double standard?
  • Many people in our Country are asking what the "Justice" Department is going to do about the fact that totally Crooked Hillary, AFTER receiving a subpoena from the United States Congress, deleted and "acid washed" 33,000 Emails? No justice!
  • Tainted (no, very dishonest?) FBI "agent's role in Clinton probe under review." Led Clinton Email probe. @foxandfriends Clinton money going to wife of another FBI agent in charge.
  • 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.
  • I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!
  • Report: "ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT LED CLINTON EMAIL PROBE" Now it all starts to make sense!
Trump's tweets prompted a vocal response from both former FBI director - and Trump nemesis - James Comey, who said ""I want the American people to know this truth: The FBI is honest. The FBI is strong. And the FBI is, and always will be, independent", as well as the FBI itself which in a statement said that "Every day, FBI Special Agents put their lives on the line to protect the American public from national security and criminal threats. Agents perform these duties with unwavering integrity and professionalism and a focus on complying with the law and the Constitution,"

As BBC reporter Paul Danahar summarized this back and forth, "Not since Nixon has a US President been this at war with the FBI."

And as one would expect, the war is only just starting because on Monday the verbal feud between Trump and the Bureau continued when Trump told reporters that he feels "very badly" for Michael Flynn, saying it's "very unfair" he was charged with a crime and Hillary Clinton was not.

Trump, who spoke briefly with the White House press pool before boarding Marine One to begin a day trip to Utah, suggested Flynn has been treated unfairly compared to 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

"Well, I feel badly for general Flynn. I feel very badly. He's led a very strong life and I feel very badly. I will say this, Hillary Clinton lied many times to the FBI. Nothing happened to her. Flynn lied, and they destroyed his life. I think it's a shame," Trump said.

"Hillary Clinton on the fourth of July weekend went to the FBI, not under oath. It was the most incredible thing anyone's ever seen. She lied many times, nothing happened to her. Flynn lied and it's like they ruined his live. It's very unfair.


As a reminder, Clinton was interviewed over the fourth of July holiday weekend in 2015 as part of the FBI's investigation into her use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state. Despite Trump's assertions, then-FBI Director James Comey told the House Oversight Committee in July, 2016, that Clinton had not lied during her interactions with the bureau.

The president's show of solidarity comes after Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. regarding sanctions and a key UN Security Council vote during the presidential transition period.

The retired Army general is cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russia's election interference. Investigators are looking into whether the Trump campaign cooperating with the Kremlin's election meddling effort."