Trump Said He Might Get Involved In The Justice Department’s Russia Probe Right After Saying He Won't Get Involved

In a heated rant on Fox & Friends, the president complained about the Justice Department's Russia investigation, calling it a "disgrace," and suggested that he may do something about it at some point.

In a heated rant denying his campaign's collusion with Russia, President Trump repeatedly said that he was not getting involved in the Justice Department's Russia probe, except that he might get involved at some point, because "what is going on is a disgrace."

video-player.buzzfeed.com

During the 30-minute long phone interview with Fox & Friends, where the president spoke almost uninterruptedly, he went off on his Justice Department, saying he was "very disappointed" by them and that there were people in the Justice Department "that shouldn't be there."

He vehemently denied any collusion with Russia and blamed former FBI director James Comey for "leaking classified information in order to get a special counsel" to probe the Russia interference in the 2016 presidential elections.

At least three times during the interview, Trump said that he would change his mind about not interfering in the DOJ's Russia probe headed by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Trump said the Justice Department should be looking into Comey's alleged "crimes" of "leaking classified information" as well as "corruption in the FBI," instead of investigating the "nonsense of collusion with Russia."

video-player.buzzfeed.com

"Our Justice Department, which I try and stay away from but at some point I won't, our Justice Department should be looking at that kind of stuff, not the nonsense of collusion with Russia," Trump said.

For a third time, Trump said that because the "people in the Justice Department that shouldn't be there" were conducting a witch hunt against him, he may change his mind about not being involved in the department's Russia probe.

video-player.buzzfeed.com

When Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy reminded the president that he was in charge of the Justice Department, Trump said, "Because of the fact that they have this witch hunt going on with people in the Justice Department that shouldn't be there, they have a witch hunt against the president of the United States going on, I have taken the position, and I don't have to take this position and maybe I'll change, that I will not be involved with the Justice Department. I will wait until this is over. It is a total... It is all lies and it is a horrible thing that is going on, a horrible thing."

Trump also contradicted claims Comey made in one of his memos which said that the president told him that he hadn't stayed overnight in Moscow during the Miss Universe pageant.

video-player.buzzfeed.com

Trump told Fox & Friends that he went to Russia for a "day or two" and that he did not leave immediately as Comey's memo claimed.

"He said I didn't stay there a night. Of course, I stayed there for a very short period of time. But, of course, I stayed. His memo said I left immediately. I never said that," Trump said, calling Comey a liar and leaker who wrote "phony memos." He also said Comey was "guilty of crimes."

Topics in this article

Skip to footer