John Brennan, a Former C.I.A. Director, Suggests Russia ‘May Have Something’ on President Trump
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Loading ...WASHINGTON — President Trump indirectly criticized Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, on Wednesday for the ongoing investigation into Russia’s 2016 campaign meddling, even as a former C.I.A. director said during a morning news show that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia may have compromising information on Mr. Trump.
After a weekend of attacking Mr. Mueller — against the advice of his own lawyers — Mr. Trump picked up again in early morning tweets when he said he was quoting a former Harvard professor stating that Mr. Mueller should never have been appointed to be the special counsel to investigate Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election. That investigation has expanded into inquiries into Mr. Trump’s aides and his own business dealings.
“I was opposed to the selection of Mueller to be Special Council,” Mr. Trump attributed in a Twitter post to a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School, Alan M. Dershowitz.
…there was no probable cause for believing that there was any crime, collusion or otherwise, or obstruction of justice!” So stated by Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz.
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It was not immediately clear on Wednesday which remarks of Mr. Dershowitz’s the president was quoting. An interview with Mr. Dershowitz on Fox News on Tuesday and an opinion piece by Mr. Dershowitz published on Wednesday did not include the exact phrasing that Mr. Trump used in his tweets. And the language was not found in a search of Mr. Dershowitz’s cable news appearances over the past week.
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Mr. Brennan was the C.I.A. director when a salacious dossier surfaced in 2016 that claimed the Russians had compromising information on Mr. Trump. There has been no proof that such material exists, but Mr. Trump’s affection for the Russian leader has raised questions about the nature of their relationship.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump congratulatedMr. Putin on his re-election and made no mention of the election meddling. Mr. Trump has routinely issued statements about Russia and Mr. Putin that sound at odds with his own advisers and administration actions.
“I think he’s afraid of the president of Russia,” said Mr. Brennan, now retired from government service and a critic of Mr. Trump.
On Saturday, Mr. Brennan attacked Mr. Trump on Twitter after the president tweeted about his excitement over the firing of the deputy director of the F.B.I., Andrew G. McCabe.
“When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history,” Mr. Brennan wrote.
For months, Mr. Trump personally attacked Mr. McCabe, a 21-year veteran of the F.B.I. and former deputy director. Mr. McCabe briefly served in the top role after Mr. Trump fired James B. Comey, the president’s first F.B.I. director. Mr. McCabe was fired on the eve of his retirement, which puts his government pension in jeopardy. After the firing, it was disclosed that Mr. McCabe kept memos on Mr. Trump, which Mr. Mueller’s investigators can access.
Mr. Mueller has accused 13 Russians and three companies of election meddling. Three of Mr. Trump’s former associates have pleaded guilty as part of the ongoing inquiry. Last week, the special counsel issued subpoenas for the Trump organization, seeking documents including some related to Russia.
Mr. Trump has consistently called the investigation into Russia’s meddling a “hoax.”
