After Supporting 20 Years Of Clinton Investigations, Trump Now Wonders If Mueller Probe Will ‘Go On Forever’
Donald Trump has called for more investigations into Hillary Clinton — who would not be under an investigative microscope for more than 20 years — but is singing a very different tune when it comes to the Russia probe.
The president took to Twitter on Thursday to lament that the 18-month-old investigation led by Robert Mueller would “go on forever,” even as the Russia investigation has brought a flurry of convictions and sent top Trump officials to prison. Trump then repeated a favorite claim that the Mueller probe was a politically motivated smear against him.
“Did you ever see an investigation more in search of a crime? At the same time Mueller and the Angry Democrats aren’t even looking at the atrocious, and perhaps subversive, crimes that were committed by Crooked Hillary Clinton and the Democrats,” he wrote. “A total disgrace!”
Trump then claimed that the Russia investigation had wasted “more than $40,000,000” an increase of $10 million from just two days before, when Trump had claimed that the Russia investigation cost $30 million. Rather than costing taxpayer dollars, the Russia investigation has actually brought a net profit to the federal government thanks to forfeited cash and property from former Trump campaign leader Paul Manafort, who CNBC reported was forced to give up between $42 million and $46 million. The seized property includes an apartment in Trump Tower valued between $3 million and $4 million.
Trump’s statements also do not match expenditures released by the Department of Justice showing that the special counsel’s office was spending under $1 million per month.
Trump’s Thursday morning rant also came just before his longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about Trump’s real estate deals in Russia.
BREAKING: President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen is expected to plead guilty Thursday morning in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, multiple news outlets reported. https://t.co/nlU6FrSx06
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) November 29, 2018
Donald Trump was criticized for his statements on the Russia investigation, as many had noted that Trump has spoken out in support of continued investigations of Hillary Clinton’s emails despite the FBI clearing her of criminal wrongdoing in 2016. On Wednesday, Trump re-tweeted a meme about his political enemies behind bars for treason, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
When will this illegal Joseph McCarthy style Witch Hunt, one that has shattered so many innocent lives, ever end-or will it just go on forever? After wasting more than $40,000,000 (is that possible?), it has proven only one thing-there was NO Collusion with Russia. So Ridiculous!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2018
Donald Trump has also repeatedly called on his Justice Department to resume investigations into both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. A report earlier this month noted that Trump was planning to formally request the department to prosecute Clinton in the early part of this year, but changed course when the White House lawyer said it would be seen as an abuse of power and could likely to lead to impeachment, Time reported.
