Here's what's making headlines in the political world on May 18, 2018:
Trump suggests DOJ “out to frame” him
-- An early Friday morning tweet from President Trump suggests the Department of Justice spied on his 2016 presidential campaign and someone is looking to “frame” him.
In recent days, multiple media outlets have reported on the possibility that a spy was planted within the Trump team to look into its activities during the election cycle.
Trump tweeted a quote from Fox anchor David Asman: “’Apparently the DOJ put a Spy in the Trump Campaign. This has never been done before and by any means necessary, they are out to frame Donald Trump for crimes he didn’t commit.’ David Asman @LouDobbs @GreggJarrett Really bad stuff!”
“Apparently the DOJ put a Spy in the Trump Campaign. This has never been done before and by any means necessary, they are out to frame Donald Trump for crimes he didn’t commit.” David Asman @LouDobbs @GreggJarrett Really bad stuff!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2018
He later added: “Reports are there was indeed at least one FBI representative implanted, for political purposes, into my campaign for president. It took place very early on, and long before the phony Russia Hoax became a ‘hot’ Fake News story. If true - all time biggest political scandal!”
Reports are there was indeed at least one FBI representative implanted, for political purposes, into my campaign for president. It took place very early on, and long before the phony Russia Hoax became a “hot” Fake News story. If true - all time biggest political scandal!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2018
President clarifies “animals” remark
-- President Trump is blaming the “fake news” media for the backlash he has received over comments he made at a White House meeting on immigration.
Earlier this week, Trump met with several California officials to discuss the state’s immigration policies, specifically its sanctuary laws.
In response to one official’s comments on the MS-13 gang, Trump said, “We have people coming into the country, or trying to come in, and we’re stopping a lot of them. You wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people. These are animals.”
The statement raised many eyebrows, as it was believed the president directed the comment towards immigrants.
Trump suggested it was taken out of context, and he tweeted Friday: “Fake News Media had me calling Immigrants, or Illegal Immigrants, ‘Animals.’ Wrong! They were begrudgingly forced to withdraw their stories. I referred to MS 13 Gang Members as ‘Animals,’ a big difference - and so true. Fake News got it purposely wrong, as usual!”
Fake News Media had me calling Immigrants, or Illegal Immigrants, “Animals.” Wrong! They were begrudgingly forced to withdraw their stories. I referred to MS 13 Gang Members as “Animals,” a big difference - and so true. Fake News got it purposely wrong, as usual!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2018
Giuliani questions whether there was FBI informant in Trump campaign
-- Rudy Giuliani, who is representing President Trump in the Russia investigation, said Friday he doesn't know for sure if the FBI had an informant in the Trump campaign.
"Here's the issue that I really feel strongly about with this informant, if there is one. First of all, I don't know for sure, nor does the President, if there really was. We're told that," the former New York City mayor told CNN's Chris Cuomo on "New Day."
The New York Times reported Wednesday that at least one government informant met several times with Trump campaign advisers Carter Page and George Papadopoulos. The suggestion that there was an informant has been seized on by several Republican members of Congress and Trump's legal team to raise doubts about the legitimacy of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.
Giuliani said Trump's lawyers "were told there were two embedded people in the campaign" and that the Times' report "corroborates what people told us off the record."
Mueller's options besides indicting Trump
-- Rudy Giuliani's assertion to CNN this week that President Donald Trump can't be indicted by the special counsel, and thus can't face a subpoena, banks on a series of internal Justice Department policies.
The question to this day is untested in the court system. Yet the step-by-step process Robert Mueller or any special counsel could follow for a President under investigation has several possible outcomes.
According to several legal experts, historical memos and court filings, this is how the Justice Department's decision-making on whether to indict a sitting president could play out: Read more
CNN contributed to this report
