Trump Warns Americans Not to Fall for Fake News Narrative After Lawyer Steps Down
President Donald Trump delivered a Twitter attack on “fake news” Sunday as he rejected any claims that he cannot find a lawyer to represent him amid special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation in the Trump campaign’s possible connections to Russia.
Trump’s tweets came even as attorney Jay Sekulow, who is part of Trump’s legal team, announced that attorneys Joseph diGenova and Victoria Toensing would not be joining his legal team, The Washington Post reported. Sekulow had announced last week that the two would be added to the staff of lawyers working with Trump.
Trump said in his tweets that he has no problem finding a lawyer to represent him.
Many lawyers and top law firms want to represent me in the Russia case…don’t believe the Fake News narrative that it is hard to find a lawyer who wants to take this on. Fame & fortune will NEVER be turned down by a lawyer, though some are conflicted. Problem is that a new……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2018
….lawyer or law firm will take months to get up to speed (if for no other reason than they can bill more), which is unfair to our great country – and I am very happy with my existing team. Besides, there was NO COLLUSION with Russia, except by Crooked Hillary and the Dems!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2018
“Many lawyers and top law firms want to represent me in the Russia case…don’t believe the Fake News narrative that it is hard to find a lawyer who wants to take this on. Fame & fortune will NEVER be turned down by a lawyer, though some are conflicted,” Trump tweeted Sunday morning.
“Problem is that a new lawyer or law firm will take months to get up to speed (if for no other reason than they can bill more), which is unfair to our great country – and I am very happy with my existing team,” he wrote.
Trump also issued a reminder that as far as he is concerned, there was no basis for the probe in the first place.
“Besides, there was NO COLLUSION with Russia, except by Crooked Hillary and the Dems!” he tweeted.
John Dowd, the lead attorney handling Trump’s response to the Mueller probe, resigned last week. The resignation sparked speculation that changes were coming, as seen in reporting by The Hill that stated, “Dowd’s exit reportedly came as the president seeks to shake up his legal team…”
Sekulow said Sunday that diGenova and Toensing could not represent Trump due to conflicts. He did not offer details.
The New York Times, citing unnamed sources, reported that Trump did not have “personal chemistry” with diGenova and Toensing.
Sekulow said Trump was “disappointed” the attorneys would not be representing him in the Mueller probe but that “those conflicts do not prevent them from assisting the President in other legal matters.”
“The President looks forward to working with them,” he said.
Fox News reported that the lawyers issued a joint statement, but declined to answer questions regarding why, after being announced as part of the legal team last week, they are now not joining it.
“We thank the president for his confidence in us, and we look forward to working with him on other matters,” the statement said.
The announced addition of diGenova to Trump’s team had been reported as a change in strategy from the more conciliatory Dowd. Earlier this year, diGenova had accused the FBI of trying to “frame” Trump.
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