Trump calls Russia probe 'the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history'

President Trump.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

President Trump took to Twitter on Thursday morning to protest what he perceived to be unfair treatment following the Justice Department's appointment Wednesday evening of a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 election.

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People quickly pointed out counterexamples, including the Red Scare and the Army–McCarthy hearings as well as the time Tea Party activist Christine O'Donnell was literally accused of being a witch.

This is only the second time the Justice Department has moved to name a special counsel. The first time was in 1999 during the investigation into the federal raid that left 76 people dead in Waco, Texas.

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