Mueller is reportedly using Trump's tweets as evidence in his probe
President Trump is not known for keeping his thoughts to himself. Over the years, he has dispatched more than 38,000 tweets from his personal Twitter account, which he now uses to make official policy announcements.
That treasure trove of tweets is of interest to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, The New York Times reported Thursday, as he looks for information to determine whether Trump and his campaign aided in Russia's interference in the 2016 election.
Trump's tweets about Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former FBI Director James Comey are reportedly part of Mueller's investigation, and Mueller wants to ask the president about his 140-character statements in an eventual sit-down interview. Advisers have warned Trump that his tweeting could be a liability, the Times reports, and now it appears that the missives are being regarded as official evidence to determine whether Trump tried to obstruct the investigation.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While each tweet on its own wouldn't constitute obstruction, the series of tweets alongside other evidence could be pieced together to paint a larger picture, sources said. Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said that Mueller's interest in Trump's Twitter feed shows that he has no real evidence to accuse the president of wrongdoing. "If you're going to obstruct justice, you do it quietly and secretly, not in public," Giuliani told the Times, apparently in defense of Trump.
Even though Mueller is interested in Trump's tweets about Sessions, Comey, and other officials, he's sure to get a very clear picture of what the president makes of his investigation along the way — Trump has tweeted the words "witch hunt" more than 80 times. Read more at The New York Times.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Political cartoons for January 4Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include a resolution to learn a new language, and new names in Hades and on battleships
-
The ultimate films of 2025 by genreThe Week Recommends From comedies to thrillers, documentaries to animations, 2025 featured some unforgettable film moments
-
Political cartoons for January 3Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include citizen journalists, self-reflective AI, and Donald Trump's transparency
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
