Trump Says “Hands Off” Approach To DOJ “Could Change” In Fox Interview

During a call-in interview with Fox & Friends Thursday morning that snowballed into an angry rant about “fake news” organizations, Ronny Jackson, James Comey, Michael Cohen, Kanye West, US relations with Iran, the upcoming talks with North Korea, President Trump lashed out at the FBI and its former director, James Comey, while the president claimed he has “nothing to do” with Cohen’s legal troubles.

Despite the cloud of the Russia probe hanging over his head, Trump said he’s still managed to accomplish a lot during his first term in office. And while Trump says he’s tried to “stay away” from interfering with the Department of Justice, at some point his “hands off” approach could change.

Of course, his aggressive remarks followed reports last night that the newest member of his legal team, Rudy Giuliani, had restarted talks with Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The interview started with Trump calling out Montana Democratic Sen. John Tester for bringing up allegations about Jackson, including his nickname, “the candy man,” which he purportedly earned due to his willingness to hand out prescription drugs in his role as personal physician to US presidents.

Trump said Jackson had withdrawn his nomination to lead the VA largely to spare his family from Democratic scrutiny. Trump insisted that Jackson is an example of an American who should be admired, and that while nobody is truly qualified to lead the VA, Jackson would’ve done a great job.

Asked about his next pick to lead the VA, Trump said only that the candidate would have a “political” background.

Commenting on his meeting with Emmanuel Macron, Trump said the two men had “a fantastic time” and that they “accomplished a lot”. Though Trump wouldn’t say specifically what they agreed on, he said Macron would be leaving with “a different view on Iran”. “He knows where I’m coming from,” he said.

When it comes to Iran, Trump said the Iranian government has mostly refrained from provocative acts and “death to America” rhetoric since he took office. “They don’t try that stuff with me, you don’t see their little boats circling our ships with me. Because if they do, they  know they’re not going to be there very long.”

Moving on to the subject of Michael Cohen, Trump blasted the FBI for raiding Cohen’s home early in the morning while his wife was still in bed, and generally dismissed the raid as part of a witch hunt. Cohen only handles a “tiny fraction” of Trump’s legal work, and that the investigation into his former personal attorney “has nothing to do with me.”

On the subject of North Korea, Trump said negotiations between the US and the reclusive state are going “very well”. And in information that hadn’t previously been disclosed, Trump revealed that Mike Pompeo’s clandestine meeting with Kim Jong Un hadn’t been planned in advance. Meanwhile, Trump added that the US has “three or four” dates for the historic summit picked out, as well as about five potential locations.

Trump again congratulated Kanye West for saying he respects the president, and argued that West sees black unemployment at historical lows under Trump and understands that Republicans are doing more for the black community than Democrats ever would. The president also gave a shoutout to Diamond & Silk, a pair of black women who are outspoken Trump supporters who reportedly faced censorship at the hands of Facebook.

But the president saved his harshest language for James Comey, who had appeared in a CNN town hall the night before. Trump again branded him a “leaker” and a “liar” who should be facing criminal charges.

Early in the interview, which ran for about 30 minutes, Trump shared what he bought Melania for her birthday with the Fox & Friends team.

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