Pres. Trump says in tweet Justice Dept is ‘out to frame’ him

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday used his Twitter account to advance an unverified theory circulating among conservatives that the Justice Department planted a spy in his 2016 campaign and is now “out to frame him.”

Trump’s early morning tweet seemed intended to undercut the ongoing Russia investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, which he has repeatedly called a “witch hunt.”

“Really bad stuff!” he tweeted.

Last week, the National Review raised the question of a possible FBI spy on Trump’s campaign. The article cites work by Rep. Devin Nunes, an ardent Trump supporter and head of the House intelligence committee, who has demanded information on an FBI source in the Russia investigation.

The New York Times reported separately this week that at least one government informant met several times with Carter Page and George Papadopoulos, both former foreign policy advisers on Trump’s Republican campaign. The newspaper attributed the information to current and former FBI officials.

In a tweet Thursday, Trump cited the National Review article suggesting that the FBI source was really a “confidential informant in the campaign.”

“If so, this is bigger than Watergate!” he tweeted.

Trump returned to the issue early Friday, this time quoting Fox Business 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.”