Donald Trump Echoes Mark Meadows In Early Morning FBI, DOJ Criticism
One day after Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina made allegations against former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, President Donald Trump repeated those claims on Twitter, according to the Washington Post.
Meadows claimed in a letter to the Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein that Strozk and Page engaged in a “media leak strategy” to undermine the Trump administration, blaming the FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for not investigating. In his letter he lists previously undisclosed messages between the two, calling on Rosenstein to launch an investigation into the pair.
The letter was obtained by former Fox News journalist Sara Carter — which she reported on at SaraCarter.com — with the letter calling for an investigation. Carter’s reportage noted that the newly unearthed information surrounded the issue of spying on Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page, elaborating that Meadows called the texts “troubling.”
The pair is often brought up in evidence by Trump supporters to point to collusion by members within the FBI against the Trump campaign and administration. Strzok and Page had traded anti-Trump texts during the 2016 election campaign — an act that saw Strzok fired and Page departing the agency before the texts came to light.
The Washington Post says that the claim from Meadows is open to debate, with Strzok’s lawyer claiming that the “media leak strategy” referenced by Strzok in his texts was an effort to stop leaks, not to promote them against Trump.
Trump took the lead from Meadows, and despite the fact that Strzok was terminated by the FBI, claimed that the agency had done nothing. Further, Trump stated that “the world is watching, and they get it completely.”
New Strzok-Page texts reveal “Media Leak Strategy.” @FoxNews So terrible, and NOTHING is being done at DOJ or FBI – but the world is watching, and they get it completely.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2018
Trump made his tweets today, on the solemn date of September 11, something which has led to criticism for the president. With his tweets attacking the FBI and DOJ interspersed with tweets remembering the tragic events of the terrorist attack 17 years ago, critics are once again calling Trump’s decorum into question. Eric Holder — former attorney general under ex- President Barack Obama — was quick to criticize, tweeting that “This is not a day for the usual unhinged Trump politics.”
This is not a day for the usual unhinged Trump politics. This is a day to remember the innocent Americans we lost and the brave first responders who gave their lives. They’re the best of America and we should honor their sacrifice. https://t.co/vxBP2oZX5e
— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) September 11, 2018
Attacking the DOJ has been something that Trump has been doing with increasing regularity lately, with Fox News reporting that the President is continuing his shots at Attorney General Jeff Sessions — who recused himself almost immediately from the Russia probe led by Robert Mueller.
Meadows has been joining Trump in his attacks on both organizations, especially the FBI. Fox News reports that the North Carolina representative claimed last month that he had information suggesting these leaks happened, something that he has stood by despite opposition from the FBI.
Now that his alleged leaks have indeed surfaced, it is likely that Meadows will continue to push for further investigation — a process President Trump will almost certainly be on board with.
