President Trump, In Familiar Pattern, Lashes Out At Hillary Clinton

WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump's response to reports he is being investigated for possible obstruction of justice has, so far, managed to be both unorthodox and oddly familiar: he has lashed out at Hillary Clinton in a series of puzzling and angry tweets while arguing that it is unfair that his activities — and not Clinton's — are facing scrutiny. "Why is that Hillary Clintons family and Dems dealings with Russia are not looked at, but my non-dealings are?" Trump tweeted Thursday afternoon.

The president's theme of the day — "Why Pick On Me When Hillary's Available?" — continued in another tweet: "Crooked H destroyed phones w/ hammer, 'bleached' emails, & had husband meet w/AG days before she was cleared- & they talk about obstruction?"

The messages follow a familiar pattern: when news cycles have been especially unfavorable toward the president, he has responded by tweeting cryptic, misleading and often altogether false attacks against those he deems responsible for the news or simply against people who are not him. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Thursday's tweets about Clinton came just one day after The Washington Post reported that the special counsel looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 election is now investigating Trump. Before laying into Clinton, the president spent part of his morning blaming an unknown "they" for the investigation.

Just before 7 a.m. he tweeted, “They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice.”

“You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history - led by some very bad and conflicted people!” he added an hour later.

Deciphering Trump's tweets is no easy task. Referencing Clinton's contacts with Russians is puzzling because, as Secretary of State, interacting with Russian officials was part of her job. And there have been zero allegations that she conspired with Russians to sway the presidential election.

The "dealings with Russia" may have been Trump's attempt to revive allegations he made during the 2016 campaign about Clinton and her role in Russia's acquisition of a company that owns substantial amounts of American uranium. The media investigated the deal extensively during the 2016 campaign and found no evidence of wrongdoing.

The president's tweet about cell phones, hammers, bleached emails and Bill Clinton's meeting "w/AG" are more clear. They refer to Clinton's email problems, which have remained a periodic talking point for Trump more than seven months after he defeated her for the presidency.

Trump has never seemed happy that Clinton wasn't prosecuted for her use of a private email account and server to conduct State Department business. After months of an investigation that dogged her campaign, then-FBI Director James Comey famously reported that "no reasonable prosecutor" would press charges against her for her conduct.

Trump's reference of Bill Clinton in the tweet was about the former president's meeting during the campaign with then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch while Hillary Clinton was still under investigation. No evidence exists that Hillary Clinton directed her husband to talk to the attorney general or that the case was discussed. Lynch subsequently said she would not decide whether to prosecute Hillary Clinton but would accept the FBI's recommendation.

California Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff, a ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee investigating Russia's interference in the election and potential collusion with the Trump campaign, said Thursday that he also wants the committee to investigate Trump for potential obstruction of justice.

No tweets from the president about that. So far.

Photo by Aude Guerrucci-Pool/Getty Images