called the FBI scum and attacked a report by his own Department of Justice?

At a rally in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Trump remarked, “The FBI also sent multiple undercover human spies to surveil and record people associated with our campaign…Look how they’ve hurt people. They’ve destroyed the lives of people that were great people, that are still great people. Their lives have been destroyed by scum. OK, by scum.” Trump repeated claims that he and his campaign were spied on by the FBI, and that the FBI knew that the Mueller investigation was “a hoax.”

The remarks came just a few days after his Department of Justice’s inspector general issued a report on the Mueller investigation. It found that the investigation into Russian election meddling, which began before the 2016 election, was justified. It also concluded that the Mueller investigation was not tainted by political bias. Trump has referred to the Mueller investigation in the past as an “attempted coup.”

Trump targeted Congressional Democrats at the rally, who had recently begun drafting articles of impeachment. Trump characterized it as “the lightest, weakest impeachment…This is ‘impeachment light.’ This is the lightest impeachment in the history of the country.” He also claimed that America would collapse he wasn’t reelected, joked about staying in office for decades, and teased a guard for being “too politically correct” in the removal of a female protester.

Business Insider – Trump called the FBI ‘scum’ and hit out at the report that discredited his theory the Russia probe was a deep-state plot at a wild Pennsylvania rally
USA Today – Trump slams Democrats at Pennsylvania rally, claims opponents ’embarrassed’ by impeachment
Business Insider – Here are the biggest takeaways from the DOJ watchdog’s highly anticipated report on the Russia probe’s origins
PBS Newshour – WATCH LIVE: Trump holds campaign rally in Hershey, Pennsylvania

called the investigation into Russian election interference an “attempted coup”?

He made the claim multiple times, including on Fox News and on the White House lawn to reporters.

He explained to reporters, “It was an illegal investigation…Everything about it was crooked — every single thing about it. There were dirty cops. These were bad people. If you look at McCabe and Comey, and you look at Lisa and Peter Strzok, these were bad people.” He continued, “And this was a — an attempted coup.  This was an attempted takedown of a President.”

Since then, Trump’s own Department of Justice has determined that the FBI acted appropriately when they first launched the probe into election interference in July 2016, before Trump was elected, and that it was not tainted by political bias.

WhiteHouse.gov – Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure
The Washington Post – Trump says he was the target of ‘an attempted coup’ with Mueller investigation
Politico – Trump: Russia investigations an attempted ‘coup’
The Wall Street Journal – Justice Department Watchdog Finds Proper Legal Basis, But Errors, in Russia Probe
CNBC – Justice Department watchdog finds Trump-Russia probe was not tainted by political bias

called the impeachment probe “a lynching”?

Trump made the remark about the probe into his into his abuse of power regarding withholding Ukrainian military aid. He also claimed that the probe was “without due process or fairness or any legal rights,” despite the House’s use of investigative and impeachment powers as outlined in the Constitution. One would assume that the single chamber of Congress would not be able or allowed to conduct an ostensibly illegal investigation into the President. The probe was to investigate Trump’s call to the President of Ukraine where he asked for damaging information on Joe Biden in exchange for military aid that had already been granted by Congress.

Politico – Trump provokes outrage by calling impeachment inquiry ‘a lynching’
NPR – Trump Calls Impeachment Inquiry A ‘Lynching’

claimed that he is “in a struggle for the survival of democracy in America” at a rally in which he attacked various political enemies?

Trump spent some 40 minutes attacking his various enemies at a Minneapolis rally. He accused the Washington establishment of pillaging America, despite being in power for three years and himself constituting the establishment. He called Democrats “very sick,” and said Nancy Pelosi is “either really stupid or she’s really lost it.”

He again made claims about the Biden family, calling Hunter Biden a loser, and saying of his father Joe Biden, “He was only a good vice president because he understood how to kiss Barack Obama’s ass.” He denounced recent surveys and news reports about the White House as “crooked” and bad for America.

Trump targeted the Mueller investigation and FBI agents Lisa Page and Peter Strzok, mimicking them their amorous relationship: “‘Oh, I love you so much. I love you, Peter!’ ‘I love you too, Lisa! Lisa, I love you. Lisa, Lisa! Oh God, I love you, Lisa.’”

He also targeted the more recent inquiry into his withholding military aid from Ukraine in exchange for political favors, saying, “The do-nothing Democrat extremists have gone so far to the left that they believe it should not be a crime to cross our border illegally and that it should be a crime to have a totally appropriate, casual, beautiful, accurate phone call with a foreign leader.”

Finally, Trump targeted the mayor of the host city, as well as the state’s freshman US Representative Ilhan-Omar, who he called an “America-hating socialist.”

The New York Times – At Minneapolis Rally, an Angry Trump Reserves Sharpest Attack for Biden
Politico – ‘These people are sick’: Trump’s ire against Washington boils over
Newsweek – Nancy Pelosi is ‘either really stupid or she’s really lost it,’ says Trump in fiery Minneapolis political rally

refused to send legal representation to impeachment hearings?

Ahead of impeachment hearings, Trump claimed multiple times that he was being denied legal representation and due process during the Congressional impeachments hearings.

However, Trump refused to send any form of legal representation.

Trump justified the White House’s refusal to participate by claiming that the entire investigation was a hoax.

The Democrats, the radical-left Democrats, the do-nothing Democrats, decided when I’m going to NATO – this was set up a year ago – that when I’m going to NATO, that was the exact time – this is one of the most important journeys that we make as president, and for them to be doing this and saying this and putting impeachment on the table, which is a hoax to start off with.

The Hill – Trump rips ‘No Due Process Scam’ as public impeachment hearings loom
ABC News – Trump: Won’t send lawyer to impeachment hearing ‘because it’s all a hoax’
Reuters – White House tells House Democrats that it will not participate in Wednesday impeachment hearing

lied about the Ukranian President exonerating him from any wrongdoing?

Trump claimed that the Ukrainian President had exonerated him from any wrongdoing in the quid pro quo scandal in which he asked for dirt on Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden. The scandal ultimately led to his impeachment.

The claim was made about an interview Time had had with the Ukrainian President. The Ukrainian President made no such remarks in the interview.

Time – ‘I Don’t Trust Anyone at All.’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Speaks Out on Trump, Putin and a Divided Europe

 

only disbursed $2 million raised for veterans until the discrepancy was met with intense media scrutiny?

His charity was later dissolved after the state of New York filed charges for illegal use of charity funds for campaign purposes.

NPR – At Least $1.9 Million In Donations Trump Collected For Vets Was Sent Last Week
The Washington Post – New York files suit against President Trump alleging his charity engaged in illegal conduct
Reuters – Trump charity to dissolve under deal with N.Y. attorney general

called in to Fox & Friends where he ranted for 53 minutes?

During the 53 minutes, Trump spoke at length about various conspiracy theories and made several false claims about the ongoing impeachment hearings. Among them, Ukraine’s supposed role in tampering with elections, and how the phone call with the Ukrainian leader at the center of the impeachment hearings was made up. He also directly admitted to holding up the military aid that had been agreed upon by Congress, saying, “I mean, I asked it very point-blank, because we’re looking for corruption. There’s tremendous corruption. Why should we be giving hundreds of millions of dollars to countries when there’s this kind of corruption?”

Trump had also previously called in to Fox & Friends.

The New York Times – Trump’s Long List of Inaccurate Statements on ‘Fox & Friends’
Business Insider – Trump essentially admitted on live TV to doing the thing he’s accused of in the impeachment inquiry

asked staff to falsify records related to the Mueller investigation?

After Trump tried to fire the Special Counsel through White House Counsel Don McGahn, Trump later directed McGahn to put in writing that the request had never been made. The President remarked, “if he doesn’t write a letter, then maybe I’ll have to get rid of him.” McGahn refused, and though Trump backed down from his threat, McGahn ultimately resigned.

McGahn noted that during his tenure, he had been asked to “do crazy shit.”

The Special Counsel originated in an FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and officially formed after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey.

US Department of Justice – Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election (The Mueller Report), pages 86, 115-118
The Hill – Mueller tells House panel Trump asked staff to falsify records
NBC News – Mueller report found Trump directed White House lawyer to ‘do crazy s—“

released intelligence on the Russia investigation at the request of Sean Hannity?

Trump declassified a variety of documents pertaining to the investigation of Russian election interference and his administration’s own possible obstruction of that investigation. It included reports on warrants, interviews, and personal text messages of FBI agents. The intelligence community immediately derided the move as unprecedented and dangerous.

Trump said he had not reviewed any of the documents in question, but made the decision because of Fox News commentators:

I have not reviewed them. I have been asked by many people in Congress as you know to release them. I have watched commentators that I respect begging the president of the United States to release them….I have been asked by so many people that I respect, please — the great Lou Dobbs, the great Sean Hannity, the wonderful great Jeanie Pirro.

The Hill – READ: President Trump’s exclusive interview with Hill.TV 
Wired – The Collateral Damage of Trump’s Extreme Declassifications
New York Magazine – Trump Ordered the Release of Sensitive Intelligence at Sean Hannity’s Request

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