Trump baselessly claims Adam Schiff wrote the whistleblower report, accuses him of treason


President Trump's press conference with Finland's president was all about him — and Adam Schiff.
Trump met with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö on Wednesday and then they held a joint press conference — not that Trump really acknowledged Niinistö's existence. Instead, Trump ranted about House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and the whistleblower he doesn't seem to think is real.
The first question Trump got was about an upcoming subpoena from House Democrats, which Trump immediately decried as a "hoax." He then claimed Schiff relayed "a call that didn't take place" when he summarized Trump's call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying it "has to be a criminal act," calling on Schiff to "resign," and saying "some people" would accuse him of "treason."
Subscribe to 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.
Trump also baselessly accused Schiff of helping the whistleblower write their report, an allegation drawn from a New York Times report saying the whistleblower notified Schiff's office of their concerns with Trump days before filing the complaint. The whistleblower's lawyer told CNN Schiff had no role in writing the report. Schiff's spokesperson explained that the advanced notice was a "regular occurrence" under Republican and Democratic administrations, and said "at no point did the committee review or receive the complaint in advance." Kathryn Krawczyk
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
August 2 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include a tariff self-own, rough times at the Trump golf course, and more
-
5 inexcusably hilarious cartoons about Ghislaine Maxwell angling for a pardon
Cartoons Artists take on the circle of life, Ghislaine's Island, and more
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein