Trump says he will eventually have "no choice" but to "get involved" with "rigged system"
President Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that he eventually "will have no choice but to use the powers granted to the presidency and get involved" in the "rigged system." Mr. Trump's rather vague comments seemed to be directed at the Justice Department, and how it hasn't met every demand from conservative Republicans to hand over documents.
"They don't want to turn over Documents to Congress. What are they afraid of? Why so much redacting? Why such unequal 'justice?'" Mr. Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.
The president's comments follow remarks he made on "Fox and Friends" last week, about whether he would get involved in the Justice Department. "So I'm very disappointed in my Justice Department but because of the fact that it's going under, and I think you'll understand this, I have decided that I won't be involved," Mr. Trump told the hosts of one of his favorite television shows last week. "I may change my mind at some point because what's going on is a disgrace."
Before tweeting about the "rigged system" on Wednesday, Mr. Trump cited Fox news legal analyst Gregg Jarrett, who has a new book titled, "The Russia Hoax," and Trump defender who was poised to join his legal team at one point, former U.S. Attorney Joe diGenova. Mr. Trump often calls the Russia investigation, particularly its interest in any ties between Russia and Trump associates, a "hoax" and a "witch hunt."
He also quoted diGenova, who recently appeared on Sirius XM's The Michael Smerconish Show.
Mr. Trump tweeted Wednesday, after questions special counsel Robert Mueller wants to ask Mr. Trump were leaked to the New York Times. Mueller, according to the Washington Post, has told the president's lawyers Mr. Trump might be subpoenaed if he declines to be interviewed voluntarily.
Pressed about the possible Mueller questions in Tuesday's press briefing, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders referred questions to the president's personal lawyers.
The president has also called the raids on the home, office and hotel room of his longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, a "disgrace." Cohen is under federal criminal investigation related to his business dealings.
On Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, speaking to a group at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., said he has long faced private and public threats because of his job. Recently, a leaked document from conservative members of the House Freedom Caucus listed reasons for Rosenstein's impeachment. Rosenstein said he and the DOJ would not be intimidated.
"I just don't have anything to say about documents like that that nobody has the courage to put their name on and that they leak in that way," Rosenstein said Tuesday. "But I can tell you, there have been people who have been making threats privately and publicly against me for quite some time. And I think they should understand by now, the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted. We're going to do what's required by the rule of law, and any kind of threats that anybody makes are not going to affect the way we do our job."
