Trump asks why IG report on Clinton emails is taking so long
WASHINGTON — Eager to begin another assault on the credibility of those investigating him, President Donald Trump said he wants to know “what is taking so long” with an internal Justice Department investigation that is expected to cast a harsh spotlight on the FBI.
The early-morning tweet Tuesday underscores how the White House and Trump’s legal team view the upcoming watchdog report as a way to damage the reputation of fired FBI Director James Comey — and, by extension, discredit special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The report is expected to sharply criticize Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, which the White House initially cited as the rationale for firing the FBI chief last year. Trump and his allies continue to believe that any censures of Comey would undercut his value as a witness against the president and back up the decision to dismiss him last May.
Democrats have long criticized Comey’s decisions — including an unusual news conference announcing his recommendation against criminal charges for Clinton, and his notification to Congress days before the election that the investigation was being reopened — as having broken from protocol in ways that damaged Clinton’s election prospects. An inspector general report, expected within days, is likely to find fault with some of those same actions and could reopen wounds of Democrats who maintain their candidate was unfairly treated.