President Trump is once again taking to Twitter to insult and criticize his political opponents, after garnering praise for staying away from the social media platform for so long.
Trump said that there should be an immediate investigation into Senator Schumer's "ties to Russia and Putin," and called him a "total hypocrite!" He attached a photo of Schumer and Putin having a donut. The picture had been up on Drudge Report Friday morning.
We should start an immediate investigation into @SenSchumer and his ties to Russia and Putin. A total hypocrite! https://t.co/Ik3yqjHzsA— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1488563670.0
Senator Schumer hit back on his own Twitter account, saying that he would "happily talk" about his contact with Mr. Putin and his associates, which he says took place in 2003. He challenged Trump and his team to discuss their own ties "full view of the press and public under oath."
Happily talk re: my contact w Mr. Putin & his associates, took place in '03 in full view of press & public under oa… https://t.co/cqiP3t4xCI— Chuck Schumer (@Chuck Schumer) 1488565475.0
Trump responded by demanding a second investigation, of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) for "her close ties to Russia, and lying about it."
I hereby demand a second investigation, after Schumer, of Pelosi for her close ties to Russia, and lying about it. https://t.co/qCDljfF3wN— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1488574943.0
He linked a Politico article detailing how Pelosi had told reporters she'd never met with a Russian ambassador.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Friday that she's never met with the current Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak."Not with this Russian ambassador, no," Pelosi told POLITICO's Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer during a Playbook interview, when asked whether she had ever met with the Russian envoy.
But a photo was discovered with Pelosi doing exactly what she denied.
Asked to square Pelosi's comments with the photo of the meeting, a spokesman said Pelosi simply meant she never had a solo meeting with Kislyak."Of course, that's what she meant," said the spokesman, Drew Hammill. "She has never had a private one-on-one with him."
Pelosi responded on Twitter as well, saying that there was a difference between an official meeting photographed by the press, and a closed meeting that Attorney General Sessions "lied about under oath."
.@realDonaldTrump doesn't know difference between official mtg photographed by press & closed secret mtg his AG lie… https://t.co/TyhjFqAcp9— Nancy Pelosi (@Nancy Pelosi) 1488576522.0
Schumer and other Democrats have been calling for Sessions' resignation after he recused himself from investigations into the Trump campaign when it was discovered that he neglected to disclose his own communications to a confirmation committee.
Mike Pence said that despite the attacks, the administration would hold firm behind Sessions. "President and I have full confidence in the Attorney General. He is a man of integrity," he said from Janesville, Wisconsin.
Schumer followed up with a very important clarification:
And for the record, they were Krispy Kreme donuts.— Chuck Schumer (@Chuck Schumer) 1488568235.0
.@POTUS and @SenSchumer in Twitter war over Russia ties. #SpecialReportpic.twitter.com/OIpLoQZVPm
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 3, 2017
Leaks to the press have plagued the Trump administration, and ended up with the resignation of his national security advisor Mike Flynn, while adding to the suspicions of critics that there are nefarious connections between Trump's team and the Russian government.
Trump has responded with attacks on the media who report what he calls "fake news," and demanding investigations into the leaks from the government to the press.