Trump Ramps Up Attacks Against FBI and “Criminal Deep State”

He also debuted a new name for his latest unconfirmed rumor: “SPYGATE.”

Oliver Contreras/ZUMA

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

President Donald Trump continued to fume over unconfirmed rumors that an FBI informant spied on his presidential campaign for political purposes, tweeting angrily Wednesday morning that this could be “one of the biggest scandals in history.” 

Contrary to Trump’s recent claims, there is no evidence that an FBI spy “infiltrated” the 2016 campaign. This has led Democrats and several former intelligence officials to suggest that the president is intentionally misrepresenting reports that an FBI source made contact with several Trump advisers to look into increasing concerns over foreign influence in the 2016 election, specifically his campaign’s ties to Russia.

Still, on Wednesday, Trump tweeted the rumor—which he coined”SPYGATE”—which is being aggressively pushed by his allies and conservative networks, as truth. 

Former FBI Director James Comey blasted the president for his ongoing attacks against career agents before posing a moral question to Republicans.

On Thursday, Republican lawmakers will meet with intelligence officials to review classified information related to the FBI informant. No Democrats have been invited to the meeting.

Keep us relentless, independent, and free to read.

This past week was our Spring Membership Drive, and we had an ambitious goal of raising 1,000 new donations to fund journalism that doesn’t hold back. We missed that goal. So we’re extending the drive, and we need your help.

For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:

    • Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account

    • Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations

    • Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall

But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.

Keep us relentless, independent, and free to read.

This past week was our Spring Membership Drive, and we had an ambitious goal of raising 1,000 new donations to fund journalism that doesn’t hold back. We missed that goal. So we’re extending the drive, and we need your help.

For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:

    • Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account

    • Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations

    • Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall

But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate