Donald Trump questioned Thursday whether President Barack Obama’s campaigning for Hillary Clinton represents a conflict of interest, raising FBI inquiries into the former secretary of state’s private email server and the Clinton Foundation on the stump.
“He’s campaigning every day, and I actually think, considering she’s under criminal investigation, I think he’s actually got a conflict,” Trump said.
Trump’s comment came as he raised reports that the FBI is probing potential corruption tied to the Clinton Foundation, but Trump grossly mischaracterized the investigation, suggesting Clinton herself is “under criminal investigation” even though there is no evidence to support that claim.
Trump also continued to hammer Clinton over the FBI’s review of newly discovered emails that potentially could be linked to the investigation into Clinton’s private email sever, which ended last summer with FBI Director James Comey recommending no criminal charges.
Obama, in his first public comments since Comey’s announcement, said in an interview with NowThisNews released Wednesday that he didn’t want to meddle in law enforcement activities, but warned against FBI “leaks” and “innuendo.”
“I do think that there is a norm that when there are investigations, we don’t operate on innuendo and we don’t operate on incomplete information and we don’t operate on leaks,” Obama said. “We operate based on concrete decisions that are made.”
The Republican nominee criticism of Obama comes just five days from the election and as Obama, who enjoys 55% approval rating, has spent more time on the campaign trail to boost his would-be Democratic successor.
“He’s down here campaigning for Crooked Hillary. Now, why isn’t he back in the office — sometimes referred to as the Oval Office — why isn’t he back in the white house bringing our jobs back and helping our veterans? Why? Why isn’t he back working?” Trump said Thursday.
Even as Trump continued to raise and exaggerate the scope of the FBI’s inquiries, the Republican nominee also questioned whether “justice” would be done.
“Just remember, the system is rigged,” Trump said as he raised disagreements between FBI and Justice Department officials, including over the decision to announce the review of new emails potentially linked to the Clinton email server investigation.
The real estate mogul capped off his rally here by polling the crowd as to whether the FBI’s latest email review would result in action being taken against Clinton.
“Will justice be done, yes or no?” Trump said, drawing a mixed reaction from the crowd.
“We’re going to have to see,” he replied. “Who knows, we’re going to see.”
