August 21, 2018

Trump Lashes Out After Manafort Conviction: “We Continue the Witch Hunt”

President Donald Trump speaking to the media as he steps off Air Force One Tuesday in Charleston, W.Va.Alex Brandon/AP

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Barely an hour after a Virginia jury convicted Paul Manafort on tax and bank fraud charges, President Donald Trump once again lashed out at special counsel Robert Mueller’s handling of the case. Arriving for a Tuesday evening campaign rally in West Virginia, Trump told reporters that he feels “very badly” for Manafort, his former campaign chairman, whom he described as a “good man.”

“This has nothing to do with Russian collusion,” the president said. “This is a witch hunt that is a disgrace…Had nothing to do with Russian collusion. We continue the witch hunt.”

Trump reportedly ignored reporters’ questions about Michael Cohen, his longtime lawyer and fixer, who on Tuesday pleaded guilty to federal tax, bank, and campaign finance charges.

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