Trump likened the Mueller probe to “McCarthyism.”
President Donald Trump lashed out at The New York Times for a Saturday report indicating that White House Counsel Don McGahn has cooperated “extensively” with Special Counsel Robert Mueller‘s investigation, calling the scoop a “fake story,” and claiming that members of the media have called the president’s office to “complain and apologize.”
The failing @nytimes wrote a Fake piece today implying that because White House Councel Don McGahn was giving hours of testimony to the Special Councel, he must be a John Dean type “RAT.” But I allowed him and all others to testify – I didn’t have to. I have nothing to hide……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2018
….and have demanded transparency so that this Rigged and Disgusting Witch Hunt can come to a close. So many lives have been ruined over nothing – McCarthyism at its WORST! Yet Mueller & his gang of Dems refuse to look at the real crimes on the other side – Media is even worse!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2018
The Times reported Saturday that McGahn has provided more than 30 hours of interviews to Mueller’s team, “sharing detailed accounts of the episodes at the heart of” Mueller’s inquiry, which the Times seems to claim has now moved on to whether President Trump obstructed justice.
McGahn reportedly provided Mueller’s team with evidence about Trump’s firing of James Comey, his conversations with Attorney General Jeff Sessions about Comey’s replacement, and internal White House discussions about potentially dismissing Mueller altogether.
But the NYT doesn’t divulge the contents of McGahn’s conversations, just that the lawyer has already participated in more than 30 hours of questioning. Without that necessary context, it’s impossible to know whether McGahn provided any valuable information — or whether that information hurts or helps the White House.
Trump seemed to indicate Sunday that it helped.
I allowed White House Counsel Don McGahn, and all other requested members of the White House Staff, to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel. In addition we readily gave over one million pages of documents. Most transparent in history. No Collusion, No Obstruction. Witch Hunt!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2018
The president also took the opportunity to jab at Mueller’s now year-long investigation, which has reportedly turned up little evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials looking to sway the results of the 2016 presidential election. In addition to calling the probe a “witch hunt,” Trump now compares the probe to “McCarthyism” — Joseph McCarthy’s series of mid-century hearings designed to root out communists in the government, business, and entertainment industries.
No Collusion and No Obstruction, except by Crooked Hillary and the Democrats. All of the resignations and corruption, yet heavily conflicted Bob Mueller refuses to even look in that direction. What about the Brennan, Comey, McCabe, Strzok lies to Congress, or Crooked’s Emails!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2018
Study the late Joseph McCarthy, because we are now in period with Mueller and his gang that make Joseph McCarthy look like a baby! Rigged Witch Hunt!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2018
The comparison is a little strange, considering that while McCarthy may have been disgraced for his hearings, eventual investigations did uncover some communist sympathies, particularly in Hollywood.
Source: The Daily Wire