WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Saturday called “most insulting” a published report that federal law enforcement officials were so concerned about his behavior in the days after he fired James Comey from the FBI that they opened an investigation into whether he had been working for Russia against US interests.
The New York Times report Friday cited unnamed former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigation.
Trump reacted Saturday during a telephone interview broadcast on Fox News Channel after host Jeanine Pirro asked whether he is currently or has ever worked for Russia.
“I think it’s the most insulting thing I’ve ever been asked,” he said. “I think it’s the most insulting article I’ve ever had written, and if you read the article you’ll see that they found absolutely nothing.”
Trump went on to say that no president has taken a harder stance against Russia than he has.
“If you ask the folks in Russia, I’ve been tougher on Russia than anybody else, any other ... probably any other president, period, but certainly the last three or four presidents.”
The inquiry forced counterintelligence investigators to evaluate whether Trump was a potential threat to national security. They also sought to determine whether Trump was deliberately working for Russia or had unintentionally been influenced by Moscow.
The Times reported that FBI agents and some top officials became suspicious of Trump’s ties to Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign but didn’t launch an investigation at that time because they weren’t sure how to approach such a sensitive and important probe, according to the unnamed officials. But Trump’s behavior in the days around Comey’s May 2017 firing as FBI director, specifically two instances in which he seemed to tie Comey’s ousting to the Russia investigation, helped trigger the counterintelligence part of the investigation, according to the newspaper.
Trump tweeted early Saturday that the report showed that the FBI leadership “opened up an investigation on me, for no reason & with no proof” after he had fired Comey.
Robert Mueller took over the investigation when he was appointed special counsel soon after Comey’s firing. The overall investigation is looking into Russian election interference and whether Trump’s campaign coordinated with the Russians, as well as possible obstruction of justice by Trump. The Times says it’s unclear whether Mueller is still pursuing the counterintelligence angle.
Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani told the Times he had no knowledge of the inquiry but said that since it was opened a year and a half ago and they hadn’t heard anything, apparently “they found nothing.”
Trump has also repeatedly and vociferously denied collusion with the Russians.
Trump calls report on FBI probe of him ‘most insulting’
Trump calls report on FBI probe of him ‘most insulting’
- The New York Times report Friday cited unnamed former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigation
- Trump went on to say that no president has taken a harder stance against Russia than he has
Russian soldiers ‘helped to repel Niger airport attack’
- Niger’s junta accused Benin, France and Ivory Coast of sponsoring the attack on the airport, which also houses a military base
MOSCOW: Russian soldiers helped to repel an attack on Niger’s main airport in the capital Niamey last week which was claimed by Daesh militants, Moscow said on Monday.
Niger’s ruling junta earlier said “Russian partners” helped to fend off the rare assault on the capital, which saw 20 attackers killed and four army
soldiers wounded.
“The attack was repelled through the joint efforts of the Russian Ministry of Defense’s African Corps and the Nigerien armed forces,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
BACKGROUND
Niger’s ruling junta earlier said ‘Russian partner’ helped to fend off the rare assault on the capital, which saw 20 attackers killed and four army soldiers wounded.
“Moscow strongly condemns this latest extremist attack,” it added.
Daesh said it staged the attack and released a video of events through its propaganda agency Amaq. The video shows several dozen attackers with assault rifles firing near a hangar and setting ablaze one plane before leaving on motorbikes.
Niger’s junta accused Benin, France and Ivory Coast of sponsoring the attack on the airport, which also houses a military base.
Junta chief Abdourahamane Tiani visited the Russian military base to express “personal gratitude for a high level of professionalism,” the ministry said.
Russia rarely comments on its military activity in the Sahel region, where Moscow has been increasing its influence in a region that has seen a series of coups.
Facing isolation since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has tried to build new military and political partnerships in Africa.
Apart from Niger, Russian troops or military instructors have been reported to be deployed in Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic and Libya.
Russia’s African Corps has taken over from the Wagner paramilitary group across the continent.
According to Moscow, the corps helps “fighting terrorists” and “strengthening regional stability” in the Sahel.
