Donald Trump is sick and tired of what he calls “presidential harassment,” according to a new series of tweets shared Thursday. Trump posted a lengthy tirade regarding investigations into his life and finances — and Twitter users were quick to point out the hypocrisy of his concerns.
In the tweets, Trump addressed the impending House Committee investigations into his administration, calling them a “witch hunt.” He further insisted that such an investigation had never happened to a president before and called for an end to “presidential harassment” — a phrase he used twice during his tirade.
“So now Congressman Adam Schiff announces, after having found zero Russian Collusion, that he is going to be looking at every aspect of my life, both financial and personal, even though there is no reason to be doing so,” Trump wrote on Twitter . “Never happened before! Unlimited Presidential Harassment….”
Trump went on to state that Republicans never acted this way toward former President Barack Obama. He also accused other committee heads of planning to do the same thing, as well as attempt to steal people from the White House. We can assume Trump is talking about the members of his administration who will be impacted by such an investigation.
Trump may feel attacked by Democrats, but the internet was by and large unsympathetic to his plight. Many Twitter users calmly explained that as such an important public figure, Trump should understand and even expect in-depth investigations into his life.
Others were quick to remind Trump of his own brand of “presidential harassment” during President Obama’s administration. Trump was a vocal proponent of the birther movement, a conspiracy theory that claimed President Obama was born somewhere other than the United States. Even after President Obama presented his long-form birth certificate proclaiming he was from Hawaii, Trump continued to doubt him — and many pointed out how that would definitely fall under the heading of “presidential harassment.”
Then there were those who reminded Trump that the investigation is not only legal, but it’s actually written in the Constitution. As several Twitter users explained to the president, Congressional Oversight is mandated by Article 1 of the United States Constitution and applies to the whole of the Executive Branch as an essential factor in the checks and balances that make up a functioning democracy.
The tweets come in response to Wednesday’s announcement by House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff that the Russian investigation is planning to expand its search and will be taking a comprehensive look at the president’s professional and personal involvements. This will help them to determine whether any collusion took place, or if any foreign powers have any leverage over Trump or his associates.