Thursday evening, President Donald Trump called into Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News and gave a rambling — at times nearly incoherent — interview in which he accused Special Counsel Robert Mueller of trying to orchestrate a “coup” with this investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election:
“This was a coup. Bigger than Watergate, because it means so much. This wasn’t stealing information from an office in the Watergate apartments. This was an attempted coup. Like a third world country and inconceivable.”
And then there was the oft-repeated refrain from Trump that all the blame should be placed on 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton:
“She’s destroying the lives of people that were on our campaign,” he said. “She’s destroyed their lives.”
While it was at, it Trump also lavished praise on Hannity, telling him the news media:
“Owe me an apology. A big one. They owe you an apology, and all of the people that you mentioned previously, and so many other people…
“They were fake, they were corrupt. And if they could change I would be the first one to say I respect the fact that you have changed. If they don’t change, they have lost all credibility.”
TRUMP: “This was a coup. This wasn’t stealing information from an office in the Watergate apartments. This was an attempted coup. Like a third world country. Inconceivable.” pic.twitter.com/3g8LBIstLS
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 26, 2019
As is always the case with this president, a quick fact check easily proves that his statements in the Thursday evening interview/rant are pure fiction:
- The Mueller investigation was begun by a man appointed by Trump — Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — and the larger investigation was signed off on by numerous federal judges. That’s hardly a “coup.”
- Hillary Clinton was the victim of a smear campaign orchestrated by Russia on Trump’s behalf.
- The legitimate news media that Trump is so eager to slam is one of the reasons we aren’t living in the dictatorship this president has been eager to impose since he took office.
Imagine the lies we’re going to hear in the months ahead, with an election right around the corner.
Featured Image Via Fox News
