'I did NOT know about the meeting': Trump blasts Sessions, media and FBI

Gregory Korte | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump calls for AG Sessions to end Russia investigation 'right now' President Donald Trump is calling for an end to the Russia investigation. Veuer's Sam Berman has the full story.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump unloaded on the media, the FBI and his own attorney general in a Saturday morning Twitter rant – saying he "may have to get involved" in the investigations into the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump's latest tweets come after a week of stunning developments in two investigations into Trump's political campaign and businesses. Two top associates were found guilty of tax evasion and bank fraud charges – and one of campaign finance violations. And two other associates – his accountant and a publisher – reportedly reached immunity deals with prosecutors.

In recent days, Trump has turned his ire to Attorney General Jeff Sessions – even leading Sessions to put out a statement saying he "will not be improperly influenced by political considerations."

Trump shot back Saturday that Sessions only said that because he "doesn’t understand what is happening underneath his command position."

Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, reports to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein because Sessions, a former Trump campaign adviser, recused himself.

More: Michael Cohen’s hush money plea marks rare 'win' in campaign system

"The special counsel Highly conflicted Bob Mueller and his gang of 17 Angry Dems are having a field day as real corruption goes untouched," Trump said, repeating a partly true assertion. Thirteen of the 17 members of Mueller's team are registered to vote as Democrats, but Mueller himself is a Republican.

Trump also quoted Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., who suggested this week that the Department of Justice may need fresh leadership "sooner rather than later."

“Every president deserves an attorney general they have confidence in," Trump said, quoting Graham. I believe every president has a right to their cabinet, these are not lifetime appointments. You serve at the pleasure of the president.”

But Trump also expressed lingering anger over the 2016 investigation into rival Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server to conduct sensitive government business. He claimed on Twitter that the FBI "ignored tens of thousands of Crooked Hillary Emails, many of which are REALLY BAD."

And he said that if the FBI doesn't get to the bottom of Clinton's corruption, "at some point I may have to get involved!"

Trump distances self from Michael Cohen, supports Paul Manafort President Donald Trump is distancing himself from his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, in the wake of Cohen's guilty plea to eight charges, including campaign finance violations that Cohen says he carried out in coordination with Trump. (Aug. 23)

Trump also defended himself against accusations that he knew about a 2016 Trump Tower meeting in which campaign officials met with a Russian agent in an effort to get damaging information about Hillary Clinton. His former attorney, Michael Cohen, reached a plea deal with prosecutors Tuesday and was expected to testify that Trump did know about the meeting, which was attended by his son, son-in-law and campaign chairman.

But the source of that story, Cohen attorney Lanny Davis, later clarified to the New York Post that he could not "independently confirm" Trump's advance knowledge of the meeting.

"The answer is that I did NOT know about the meeting," Trump said Saturday. "Just another phony story by the Fake News Media!"