President Trump took to Twitter on Thursday morning to react to reports that he is under investigation for possible obstruction of justice.
On Wednesday night, The Washington Post reported special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who was appointed to investigate Russian influence in the 2016 presidential campaign, is now examining whether Trump tried to obstruct justice.
The president didn't deny the reports that he is being investigated, instead saying that it's a "phony story."
"They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice," he tweeted a little before 7 a.m. EST.
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They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2017
About an hour later, he came back to Twitter to make a new claim. He wrote, "You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history - led by some very bad and conflicted people! #MAGA."
It's not the first time that Trump has used the term "witch hunt" to decry something he doesn't agree with. He wrote a similar tweet when Mueller was first appointed in mid-May.
You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history - led by some very bad and conflicted people! #MAGA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2017
Accusations of obstruction arose last month when Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. Last week, Comey testified in a Senate hearing that he believed he was fired "because of the Russia investigation." Comey also testified he had told Trump he was not under investigation.
The Washington Post reported Mueller was seeking interviews with three Trump administration officials who weren't involved in Trump's campaign: Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence; Michael Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency; and Richard Ledgett, the former NSA deputy director.
Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Trump's personal lawyer, responded Wednesday evening to the Post report by saying: "The FBI leak of information regarding the president is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal."
The Post report cited anonymous sources who were briefed on requests made by investigators. It was not known whether the FBI was the source of the information. The New York Times also reported the story.
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