Trump lashes out against Department of Justice during 'Fox & Friends' interview

In an interview on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” President Donald Trump lashed out against the Department of Justice, slamming it for running a “witch hunt” and not “doing their job.”

He also bashed the FBI and accused the agency of collusion with the Democratic National Committee. He also said that he would not cooperate with the DOJ, although he added “I may change my mind at some point.”

“He is guilty of crimes,” Trump ranted, speaking about former FBI Director James Comey, “and if we had a Justice Department that was doing their job, instead of spending 10 million dollars trying to find –”

At this point, co-host Steve Doocy interrupted him.

“It’s your Justice Department! Mr. President, you’re the Republican in charge, you’ve got a Republican running it!” Doocy said.

Trump responded:

“You’re right, you’re right. You’re right! I answer this all the time. Because of that fact that they have this witch hunt going on, with people in the Justice Department that shouldn’t be there, they have a witch hunt against the President of the United States going on. I’ve taken the position – and I don’t have to take this position, and maybe I’ll change, that I will not be involved with the Justice Department. I will wait till this is over. It’s a total – it’s all lies, and it’s a horrible thing that’s going on, a horrible thing.

“And yet I’ve accomplished, with all of this going on, more than any president, in the first year, in our history. And everybody – even the enemies and the haters admit that. We’ve accomplished more than any president in the first year by far, if you look at regulations and the big tax cuts, and Judge Gorsuch. So many things. And many other judges. But the big things, the tax cuts, the regulations, nobody’s done what we’ve done – what I’ve done. Despite what’s going on. So I’m very disappointed in my Justice Department.

“But because of the fact that it’s going on, and I think you’ll understand this, I have decided that I won’t be involved. I may change my mind at some point, because what’s going on is a disgrace, it’s an absolute disgrace. And, by the way, the only collusion is the collusion with the Democrats and the Russians. You take a look at what’s going on there. They wouldn’t even give their server, the DNC, Democratic National Committee, wouldn’t even give its server to the FBI. So, what kind of an FBI – they break down doors for Paul Manafort. Early in the morning. His wife is in bed, like at five or six in the morning. And they undo the lock from Michael Cohen, early in the morning. And yet, they walk into the DNC, and they won’t give them the server. They say, ‘we’re not giving you the server.’ ‘Oh, ok. We’ll leave.’ That’s not the FBI. That’s a fix.”

During his testimony before Congress in January 2017, Comey mentioned that the FBI had reviewed copies of the DNC servers, but not the servers themselves. The FBI also cooperated with a third-party cybersecurity firm that reviewed the actual servers. Comey called this an “appropriate substitute.”

Former FBI Dir. James Comey says he’s not a leaker. President @realDonaldTrump reacts. pic.twitter.com/a497Yp8ESl

— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) April 26, 2018