This weekend, President Trump took to Twitter and veered between various topics, potentially putting himself in more legal jeopardy over Michael Flynn.
He ended the roller-coaster of a tweetstorm Monday morning with an endorsement of Roy Moore, the Republicans’ Alabama Senate hopeful accused by multiple women of preying on them as teens.
From Friday on, Trump knocked down reports he was going to fire his secretary of state, while revealing that he fired his National Security Advisor Michael Flynn because he knew he had lied to the FBI – a concession his lawyer later took credit to penning.
President Trump used Twitter all weekend through Monday – potentially putting himself in more legal jeopardy – while also endorsing a child predator
Trump dredged up his favorite boogeyman Hillary Clinton again, suggesting she was let off by the FBI, as Flynn’s reputation was destroyed.
The president also tried to sully Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, by pointing to the actions of one agent who went rogue and wrote anti-Trump messages.
And, of course, Trump went after the media, pouncing on a correction ABC News had to post after Brian Ross messed up an important detail in the network’s special report on the Flynn plea deal.
Here are Trump’s weekend tweets by subject and the trouble they could bring him:
Michael Flynn
Throughout Saturday, President Trump griped about Michael Flynn’s plea deal, suggesting it was unfair that he got caught and yet Hillary Clinton is free – despite there being no evidence that she lied to the FBI, which Flynn was charged with
It wasn’t until Saturday afternoon that Trump expressed some of his thoughts on Flynn’s plea deal, announced Friday.
‘I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI,’ Trump said. ‘He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!’ the president tweeted at 12:14 p.m.
This tweet was the most problematic because it calls into question what Trump knew about Flynn when he pressured now former FBI Director James Comey to go easy on him.
‘I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go,’ Comey said the president urged him on February 14, the day after Flynn was fired, according to testimony the ex-FBI head prepared for his June appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
On Monday, CNN reported that White House Counsel Don McGahn told Trump in January he believed Flynn had misled the FBI when he spoke to them on January 24 about his conversations with Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak.
Trying to stave off the storm, Trump’s personal lawyer John Dowd took credit for writing the tweet, after the Washington Post first reported he had done so.
‘I’m out of the tweeting business,’ Dowd told Axios Sunday. ‘I did not mean to break news.’
The president, however, continued to tweet about Flynn all through the weekend.
On Saturday night he bemoaned how unfair it was for Flynn to be in legal jeopardy, while Trump’s former political rival, Hillary Clinton, was home free.
‘So General Flynn lies to the FBI and his life is destroyed, while Crooked Hillary Clinton, on that now famous FBI holiday “interrogation” with no swearing in and no recording, lies many times…and nothing happens to her?’ Trump wrote at 9:06 p.m. ‘Rigged system, or just a double standard?’ he asked.
Seven minutes later, he tweeted again.
‘Many people in our Country are asking what the “Justice” Department is going to do about the fact that totally Crooked Hillary, AFTER receiving a subpoena from the United States Congress, deleted and “acid washed” 33,000 Emails?’ Trump wrote. ‘No justice!’
Comey testified that he had no reason to believe Clinton ever lied to the FBI.
James Comey
President Trump also used Twitter this weekend to smack one of his favorite nemeses, ex-FBI Director James Comey
As an extension to his disappointment over Flynn, President Trump used Twitter to again smack around James Comey, the FBI leader that he fired in May.
First, on Sunday morning, the president objected to what Comey told members of Congress under oath – that Trump had asked him to go easy on Flynn during that Valentine’s Day meeting.
‘I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn,’ Trump wrote at 6:15 a.m. Sunday, his first tweet of the day. ‘Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!’
At 8 a.m. he blasted Comey again.
‘After years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters – worst in History!’ Trump wrote. ‘But fear not, we will bring it back to greatness.’
This tweet prompted a response from Comey, who recently started using social media under his name.
The ousted FBI leader insisted the bureau ‘is, and always will be, independent.’
Peter Strzok
President Trump latched onto news reports that said FBI agent Peter Strzok was pulled off the Mueller probe after anti-Trump text messages were found. Strzok was also a lead investigator on the Hillary Clinton email probe, with Trump now suggesting bias
Trump, however, latched onto reports from the Washington Post and the New York Times that said FBI agent Peter Strzok was removed from the Mueller probe after exchanging text messages with a colleague he was involved with, which were anti-Trump.
Trump wrote at 7:42 a.m. Sunday, ‘Tainted (no, very dishonest?) FBI “agent’s role in Clinton probe under review.” Led Clinton Email probe. @FoxandFriends Clinton money going to wife of another FBI agent in charge.’
Strzok had also been a head FBI investigator on the bureau’s Clinton email probe.
He followed that up with ‘Report: “ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT LED CLINTON EMAIL PROBE” Now it all starts to make sense!’
The president also retweeted several tweets that indicated Strzok had been removed from the Mueller probe, in an attempt to suggest that the Russia investigation was biased.
Brian Ross
The president used Twitter Saturday and Sunday to hammer ABC News for having to issue a correction over a report by Brian Ross, who is currently suspended
And in another dent to the mainstream media, Trump commented several times on a screw-up by ABC News.
The network’s Brian Ross was suspended after ABC had to correct a report in which he said Trump had instructed Flynn to reach out to the Russians during the election.
Flynn’s questionable contact with the Russians occurred during the transition.
‘Congratulations to @ABC News for suspending Brian Ross for his horrendously inaccurate and dishonest report on the Russia, Russia, Russia Witch Hunt. More Networks and “papers” should do the same with their Fake News!’ Trump applauded Saturday night at 9:22 p.m.
He went after Ross again Sunday morning.
‘People who lost money when the Stock Market went down 350 points based on the False and Dishonest reporting of Brian Ross of @ABC News (he has been suspended), should consider hiring a lawyer and suing ABC for the damages this bad reporting has caused – many millions of dollars!’ Trump wrote.
Roy Moore
Finally, on Monday morning, President Trump used Twitter to officially endorse Roy Moore, the Republican Alabama Senate hopeful accused of being a pedophile
President Trump eschewed the topics of Michael Flynn and James Comey, as Monday morning kicked off.
Instead, he endorsed an accused pedophile for the U.S. Senate.
‘Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama,’ Trump wrote at 6:17 a.m. ‘We need hisvote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more.’
‘No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!’ Trump added, referencing Democratic hopeful Doug Jones and the Congressional Democratic leadership.
Trump continued to make that point in a tweet he set off at 7 a.m. on the dot.
‘Putting Pelosi/Schumer Liberal Puppet Jones into office in Alabama would hurt our great Republican Agenda of low on taxes, tough on crime, strong on military and borders…& so much more,’ he said. ‘Look at your 401-k’s since Election. Highest Stock Market EVER! Jobs are roaring back!’