Trump denies collusion, obstruction as Mueller’s probe enters second year

President Trump marked the one-year anniversary of the special counsel’s Russia investigation by highlighting a report claiming the FBI during the Obama administration spied on his campaign, proclaiming “this is bigger than Watergate!”

“Wow, word seems to be coming out that the Obama FBI ‘SPIED ON THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN WITH AN EMBEDDED INFORMANT,’ ” Trump posted on Twitter. “Andrew McCarthy says, ‘There’s probably no doubt that they had at least one confidential informant in the campaign.'”
“If so, this is bigger than Watergate!,” he declared.

The president’s tweet came after McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor, for the National Review on Wednesday.

Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani also floated the possibility that a spy was hidden in the campaign, and said it would raise questions about the legitimacy of Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the election and collusion by Trump campaign associates.

“That would be the biggest scandal in the history of this town, at least involving law enforcement,” he said.

As the probe neared its first anniversary, Trump’s legal team has been ramping up its criticism of Mueller and the investigation.

In tweets on Thursday, Trump said at the one-year mark, the country has entered the second year of the “greatest Witch Hunt in American History.”

“Congratulations America, we are now into the second year of the greatest Witch Hunt in American History… and there is still No Collusion and No Obstruction,” he wrote. “The only Collusion was that done by Democrats who were unable to win an Election despite the spending of far more money!”

In another posting hours later, he said the probe hasn’t been able to derail the successes of his administration.

“Despite the disgusting, illegal and unwarranted Witch Hunt, we have had the most successful first 17 month Administration in U.S. history – by far! Sorry to the Fake News Media and ‘Haters,’ but that’s the way it is!” he wrote.

In an interview Wednesday evening, Giuliani said Mueller has “all the facts” and should “bring this thing to a close.”

“It’s about time to say enough. We’ve tortured this president enough,” Giuliani said during an appearance on Fox News Wednesday.

In that year, Mueller has brought charges against 19 people — including four Trump campaign advisers — and three Russian companies.

Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and his former deputy campaign chairman, Rick Gates, have pleaded guilty and are cooperating in the probe.

Alex van der Zwaan, a Dutch lawyer who pleaded guilty to lying to investigators, is serving a 30-day prison sentence.

With Post wires