Screen shot via Twitter

In a series of tweets early Friday morning, President Trump addressed a variety of political topics, including his dismissal of James Comey as FBI director and the ensuing backlash, and his difficult relationship with the media.

First, Trump once again insisted that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election were created by his political opponents:

He then attacked the press directly, writing:

This led him to float the idea of canceling press briefings entirely — “for the sake of accuracy”:

Then, switching gears slightly, he addressed Comey in a tweet many viewed as a threat:

Trump concluded the tweet storm with another message focused on the Russia allegations:

Numerous officials weighed in on Trump’s tweet about Comey, including legal experts and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee:

Others expressed intense concern about Trump’s threat to end press briefings:

It was a busy morning on Twitter, as numerous users also zeroed in on a letter released by the White House on Friday morning. The letter, focused on Trump’s tax returns, states that Trump has no financial ties to Russia — “with a few exceptions.” That phrase quickly went viral, as many users tweeted with the hashtag #withfewexceptions to criticize the hypocrisy of the statement.

Trump’s tweet storm came after intense fallout from Comey’s firing — a reaction apparently not anticipated by the White House. Trump appears to have grown increasingly distressed over allegations of Russian involvement in U.S. politics. According to Politico, he has “repeatedly asked aides why the Russia investigation wouldn’t disappear and demanded they speak out for him” and will “sometimes scream at television clips about the probe.”

Instead, numerous politicians and journalists are calling for an independent investigation into Russian influence.

—Posted by Emma Niles

 WAIT, BEFORE YOU GO…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG
In this Article:
#donald trump#fake news#fbi#james clapper#james comey#media#national#politics#russia#twitter#usa