Friday morning, President Donald Trump took to Twitter (his preferred method of communication) to publicly confirm for the first time that he is being investigated for potential Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential election.
In a series of tweets, Trump seemed to complain about the ongoing investigations, saying that "nobody has been able to show any proof" of potential obstruction of justice.
After 7 months of investigations & committee hearings about my "collusion with the Russians," nobody has been able to show any proof. Sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2017
In his latest tweet, Trump called the situation a “witch hunt” led by the person who “told him” to fire former FBI Director James Comey.
According to The New York Times, the investigation into Trump’s possible obstruction of justice is being led by White House Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who has been investigating whether or not Trump's decision to fire James Comey was just a way of bringing the investigation to a halt. However, according to NBC, Trump’s “witch hunt” tweet may be referring to Rod Rosenstein, the current deputy attorney general. Rosenstein gave Trump a memo last month that allegedly led to Comey's firing.
I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2017
Despite the phony Witch Hunt going on in America, the economic & jobs numbers are great. Regulations way down, jobs and enthusiasm way up!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2017
What's important to note is that by acknowledging—not denying—that he is being investigated, Trump is making a big departure from his previous statements on the matter. While he still maintains that he didn't do anything wrong, he's now confirmed the investigation will partially focus on his actions. And that's a pretty big deal for a sitting president.