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Trump’s massive Twitter eruption as scandals and setbacks mount

Beset by scandals, congressional probes and a special prosecutor, Donald Trump has lashed out in an early morning tirade.

Beset by scandals, congressional probes and a special prosecutor, Donald Trump has lashed out in an early morning tirade. Photo: Getty

US President Donald Trump woke up Saturday with a lot on his mind.

He was thinking about the Russia investigation, Hillary Clinton, son Don Jr., health care, the commissioning of the USS Gerald Ford, an Islamic State terrorist who may be dead, his attorney general and his new White House communications aide.

It’s all there in his Twitter feed.

On a day when most people are ready to step away from the issues that nagged at them during the week, Trump was just revving up. The tweets were unusual in their scope, even for Trump, given the wide range of topics he vented about.

He sent 10 tweets starting around 6:30am and ending shortly before he left the White House on a trip to Norfolk, Virginia, where he helped hand over a new aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, to the Navy.

Trump said in one missive: “While all agree the US President has the complete power to pardon, why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us. FAKE NEWS.”

The Washington Post recently reported that Trump has inquired about the authority he has as president to pardon aides, relatives or even himself in connection with the widening investigation into Russian interference in the election and whether any Trump associates were involved.


The president has long criticised leaks of information about the investigation, and has urged authorities to prosecute leakers.

Next week, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr; his son-in-law and White House adviser, Jared Kushner; and Paul Manafort, his former campaign chairman, are scheduled to appear before Senate committees investigating Russian meddling.

Trump defended his son in one of the tweets, saying he “openly gave his e-mails to the media & authorities whereas Crooked Hillary Clinton deleted (& acid washed) her 33,000 e-mails!”

Trump also complained about a Washington Post report that the Russian ambassador to the US said he discussed election-related issues with Jeff Sessions when the men met during the 2016 presidential race. Sessions, now the attorney general, at the time was a US senator and foreign policy adviser to Trump.

Trump tweeted: “A new INTELLIGENCE LEAK from the Amazon Washington Post,this time against AG Jeff Sessions.These illegal leaks, like Comey’s, must stop!”

And the New York Times did not escape the president’s thumb-typing fury either.

Trump also said “Republican Senators must step up to the plate and, after 7 years, vote to Repeal and Replace” the Obama-era health care law. An effort to advance legislation collapsed in the Senate earlier this week after several Republicans said they wouldn’t vote for the bill.

Trump ended the tweet with “Tax Reform and Infrastructure. WIN!”

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