HOT MIC

Trump on Releasing Anti-FBI Memo: ‘Oh Yeah, 100 Percent’

Overheard telling GOP lawmaker that release is a sure thing, despite calls for review.

President Trump was overheard after his State of the Union address Tuesday telling a Republican lawmaker it’s “100 percent” the White House will release a memo alleging bias in the FBI’s Russia investigation. The president was caught on camera as Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) said, “Let’s release the memo,” a rallying cry among Trump’s Republican allies pushing for scrutiny of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. “Oh yeah, don’t worry, 100 percent,” Trump said. The White House has made clear that Trump wants to release the classified document, a move the Justice Department had earlier warned would be “reckless.” White House Chief of Staff John Kelly had reportedly promised the memo would undergo a review process before it is officially released. Democratic lawmakers fear the memo will be used by Trump’s allies to undermine the Russia investigation, a concern that intensified this week when the memo’s author, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), declined to answer whether he coordinated the document with the White House.