President Trump accused House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff of helping write the whistleblower report during a press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö.
Trump, who has repeatedly attacked Schiff since the whistleblower complaint became public, ramped up the attacks on Wednesday after it was reported that the CIA officer who filed the complaint went to a House Intelligence aide before filing it.
While taking questions from reporters, Trump was asked about that report.
“I love that question. It shows that Schiff is a fraud. I love that question. Thank you, John,” Trump began. “I think it’s a scandal that he knew before.”
“I think he probably helped write it, OK, that’s what the word is. I give a lot of respect for The New York Times for putting it out. It just happened as I’m walking up here, they handed it to me, and I said to Mike, I said, ‘Whoa, that is something. That is big stuff.’ That’s a big story. He knew long before, and he helped write it, too. It’s a scam,” he said. “It’s a scam. Just to finish on this, I appreciate it, I love that second question by the way. Should’ve asked it first. But let me just tell you, the whole thing is a scam.”
Trump has repeatedly called for Schiff’s resignation after he read a fake copy of the president’s conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire’s testimony in front of his committee last week. The president asked Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
