Speaking with reporters Friday morning, President Trump again attacked Special Cousel Robert Mueller, former CIA Director John Brennan, and current DOJ official Bruce Ohr. In contrast, he praised his former campaign chairman currently on trial for 18 count of bank and tax fraud.
“It’s very sad what they’ve done to Paul Manafort," Trump told reporters at the White House, and he refused to say whether or not he would pardon Manafort should he be convicted.
"He happens to be a very good person," Trump said.
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As for Mueller, Trump again said Friday that the special counsel is "highly conflicted" as he and his staff investigate possible links between the president's campaign team and Russians who sought to influence the 2016 election in Trump's favor.
The president's comments come after more than a dozen former top intelligence officials released a letter on Thursday, describing Trump's decision [to revoke Brennan's clearance] as a political move that has "everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech."
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Brennan was among the intelligence officials that met with Trump at Trump Tower days before his inauguration, and briefed him on evidence that the Russian government had sought to interfere in the election.
"I've never respected him, I've never had a lot of respect," Trump said.
He instead called on Mueller to look at "all of the people that got fired." He added that Bruce Ohr, who still works for the Justice Department and is having his security clearance evaluated by the White House, should be investigated along with his wife, Nellie, who worked for Fusion GPS during the 2016 elections.
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Trump said he suspects that he will "be taking" away Ohr's clearance "very quickly."
NYT:
Mr. Ohr, a career official who has worked on antidrug and anti-gang initiatives at the department, has been targeted by conservative conspiracy theorists who say he helped start the investigation into Russian election interference. Mr. Ohr’s wife was at one time a contractor for Fusion GPS, which participated in compiling a dossier about Mr. Trump during the 2016 campaign.
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“They should be looking at Bruce Ohr, and his wife, Nellie, for dealing with, by the way, indirectly, Russians,” Mr. Trump said as he boarded Marine One for a fund-raising trip to the Hamptons.
The president also said that Mueller is conflicted in the investigation, a claim Trump has made in the past. He said one issue is Mueller's prior relationship with former FBI director James Comey. Mueller has widened the FBI probe to include possible obstruction of justice by Trump.
Trump, however, said he will let Mueller finish his investigation.
"Let him write his report. We did nothing. There is no collusion," Trump said. "If he was doing an honest report, he would write it on the other side because when you look at criminality and you look at problems, take a look at what they did, including colluding with the Russians, the other side."
Donald Trump: What Robert Mueller is doing to Paul Manafort is 'very sad' (USA Today)
Trump: I 'never respected' Brennan (Politico)
Embracing Conspiracy Theory, Trump Escalates Attack on Bruce Ohr (NYT)