Trump says Russians are 'laughing their asses off' at U.S. discord

Paul Singer | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption 13 Russians charged in Mueller investigation Special counsel's office charges 13 Russian nationals, 3 Russian entities with interfering in US political process. (Feb. 16)

In an angry tweetstorm Sunday morning, President Trump said that if Russian meddling in the 2016 election was intended to sow discord in the United States, "they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. They are laughing their asses off in Moscow."

But the president suggested the source of that discord is the investigation of Russian meddling in the elections and possible collusion between his campaign and Russia, which Trump flatly denies.

If it was the GOAL of Russia to create discord, disruption and chaos within the U.S. then, with all of the Committee Hearings, Investigations and Party hatred, they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. They are laughing their asses off in Moscow. Get smart America! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018

Trump spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, but he had no public activities and did not play golf as he often does. Instead he met with first responders and some family members of victims of the mass shooting Wednesday at a high school in Parkland, not far from Mar-a-Lago.

He also spent the weekend tweeting about the FBI's failure to act on warnings about the threatening behavior of suspected shooter Nikolas Cruz and the new revelations about Russian election meddling contained in indictments released Friday by special counsel Robert Mueller.

I never said Russia did not meddle in the election, I said “it may be Russia, or China or another country or group, or it may be a 400 pound genius sitting in bed and playing with his computer.” The Russian “hoax” was that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia - it never did! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018

He lashed out at Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee — which has been riven with partisan bickering over its Trump-Russia investigation — and former president Barack Obama, who Trump said did nothing to prevent Russian meddling.