May 2, 2018

Trump Threatens to “Get Involved” With Justice Department

The president claimed that at “some point” his interference would be necessary.

Andrew Harrer/ZUMA

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President Donald Trump raised the possibility that he may interfere with the Department of Justice to force the release of documents related to the Russia investigation and other federal probes, asserting in a tweet Wednesday morning that he would soon “have no choice” but to get involved.

The new threat comes one day after House Freedom Caucus chair Sen. Mark Meadows confirmed that members had recently finalized draft articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Meadows called the articles a “last resort” if the Justice Department refused to hand over documents related to the ongoing federal investigations.

Speaking before an audience at the Newseum on Tuesday, Rosenstein dismissed the latest threat to his position, adding that the Justice Department will not be “extorted.”

Trump’s tweet on Wednesday echoes remarks he made during a phone interview with Fox & Friends last week in which he announced that he was assessing whether to step into the Justice Department’s matters. He said, “I’ve 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.”

In a previous tweet earlier Wednesday, the president quoted former US Attorney Joe diGenova’s to hint that special counsel Robert Mueller’s reported list of questions for him were unconstitutional.

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