President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE on Monday said Democrats are "wrongly" calling a "simple private transaction" a "campaign contribution," referring to payments made by his former attorney to two women who alleged affairs with the president more than a decade ago.

In a pair of early morning tweets, Trump claimed that a payment by Michael Cohen was "done correctly," adding that he would not be liable if it was done incorrectly, and that Cohen was "just trying to get his sentence reduced."

....which it was not (but even if it was, it is only a CIVIL CASE, like Obama’s - but it was done correctly by a lawyer and there would not even be a fine. Lawyer’s liability if he made a mistake, not me). Cohen just trying to get his sentence reduced. WITCH HUNT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2018

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Trump's tweets appeared to be prompted by comments by a Fox News host who said Democrats "can't find a smoking gun tying the Trump campaign to Russia." The president misspelled "smoking" as "smocking," something he first did in August.

Cohen in August pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud and two counts of campaign finance law violations related to payments he made during the presidential campaign to adult-film star Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model. He said in his plea at the time that he violated campaign finance law at the direction of the candidate, a reference to Trump.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan last Friday filed documents that laid out allegations against Cohen, and stated that he violated campaign finance laws at the direction of "Individual-1," whose description matches Trump.

Trump claimed in a tweet shortly after the filing was made public that the filing "Totally clears the president." He did not provide additional context.

Democrats have seized on the filings, which came days after special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE filed court papers that laid out the extent of cooperation between prosecutors and former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, and suggested the president may be in growing legal jeopardy.

“The president has now stepped into the same territory that ultimately led to President Nixon resigning the office. President Nixon was an unindicted co-conspirator, a — certainly a different set of facts,” Sen. Chris Murphy Christopher (Chris) Scott MurphyDemocratic senator calls for 'more flexible' medical supply chain to counter pandemics The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Don't expect a government check anytime soon GOP chairman to release interim report on Biden probe 'in about a week' MORE (D-Conn.) said Sunday on ABC.

"My takeaway is there's a very real prospect that on the day Donald Trump leaves office, the Justice Department may indict him. That he may be the first president in quite some time to face the real prospect of jail time," Rep. Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffChris Matthews ripped for complimenting Trump's 'true presidential behavior' on Ginsburg Trump casts doubt on Ginsburg statement, wonders if it was written by Schiff, Pelosi or Schumer Top Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence MORE (D-Calif.) said on CBS.