The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee shot down President Trump’s claim to have an “absolute right” to do what he wants with the Department of Justice, telling him: “No, you don’t.”

“You can do what you want with your golf courses,” Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said in Friday tweet. “But the country and its Justice Department belong to the American people."

Trump: “I have absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department.”



No, you don’t. You can do what you want with your golf courses. But the country and its Justice Department belong to the American people. https://t.co/60DFvIEMjk — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) December 29, 2017



The tweet is in response to President Trump’s comments when asked if he would order the Justice Department to reopen its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server.

“I have absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department,” Trump told the New York Times in a Thursday interview from Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach, Florida. “But for purposes of hopefully thinking I’m going to be treated fairly, I’ve stayed uninvolved with this particular matter.”

The House Intelligence Committee is conducting an investigation separate from special counsel Robert Mueller’s into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

Schiff has been an outspoken critic of Trump, and has continually stressed the importance of the Russia investigations.

Trump has criticized both the Justice Department and Attorney General Jeff Sessions' handling of these matters. He told the New York Times it was “too bad” that Sessions recused himself from the investigation, which paved the way for Mueller.

In November, the president told reporters he was “disappointed” that the Justice Department is not investigating Clinton.

“I like to let it run itself,” Trump said of the agency. “Honestly, they should be looking at the Democrats. They should be looking at Podesta and all of that dishonesty. They should be looking at a lot of things. A lot of people are disappointed in the Justice Department, including me.”

He also argued on Twitter last month that the Justice Department should investigate Clinton and the Democratic national Committee.

“Everybody is asking why the Justice Department (and FBI) isn’t looking into all of the dishonesty going on with Crooked Hillary & the Dems. New Donna B book said she paid for and stole the Dem Primary. What about the deleted E-Mails, Uranium, Podesta, the Server, plus, plus,” Trump said in a series of tweets. “People are angry. At some point the Justice Department and the FBI must do what is right and proper. The American people deserve it!”