VIDEO-Trump refuses to rule out opponents being executed for treason: 'They tried to take down the wrong person' | The Independent | The Independent
Donald Trump conspicuously failed to deny former FBI officials involved in probes into his presidential campaign should be put to death for what he describes as treason.
The US president listed former FBI directors James Comey and Andrew McCabe, as well as agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, when asked who he was accusing of treason.
“Sir, the constitution says treason is punishable by death. You’ve accused your adversaries of treason. Who specifically are you accusing of treason?” NBC journalist Peter Alexander asked Mr Trump during a White House event on Thursday.
Mr Trump responded: “Well I think a number of people, and I think what (sic) you look is that they have unsuccessfully tried to take down the wrong person.
“If you look at Comey, if you look at McCabe, if you look at probably people higher than that. If you look at Strzok, if you look at his lover Lisa Page, his wonderful lover.
Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies
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1 /7 Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies
Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies
Doctors and mothers killing babies
At a rally in Wisconsin in April 2019, Mr Trump made this extraordinary claim. “The baby is born, the mother meets with the doctor, they take care of the baby,” Mr Trump said. “They wrap the baby beautifully and then the doctor and the mother decide whether they will execute the baby”
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Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies
"China rapes our country"
At a rally in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2016, Mr Trump said this in reference to the US trade deficit with China: "we can’t continue to allow China to rape our country and that’s what they’re doing. It’s the greatest theft in the history of the world"
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Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies
"EU formed to take advantage of US"
At a rally for the midterm elections in October 2018, Mr Trump called the EU a "brutal" alliance that "formed to take advantage of us"
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Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies
"I will build a wall and Mexico will pay for it"
Mr Trump first made this claim at the launch of his presidential campaign back in 2015: "I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words"
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Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies
"Horrible, horrendous people"
At a Republican rally in Pennsylvania on August 3 2018, President Trump deemed all journalists in attendance "horrible, horrendous people". He later denounced the "fake, fake, disgusting news" for falsely reporting that he was late to his meeting with the Queen when visiting Britain
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Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies
"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody"
Mr Trump said this in reference to his popularity during a rally in Iowa in 2016
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Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies
"I wish I could punch him"
Mr Trump said this in reference to a protester who was escorted out of his rally in Las Vegas on 22 February, 2016. There was often violence between protesters and supporters at Trump's campaign rallies
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“The two lovers they talked openly. You know they didn’t use their private server because they didn’t want to get caught, so they used the government server. That was not a good move.”
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Mr Trump has long railed against the four officials he falsely accused of treason.
The president’s 2017 firing of Mr Comey, who he then blamed for “this Russia thing”, led to the appointment of both Mr McCabe as FBI chief and the launch of Robert Mueller’s investigation.
It was not clear who “people higher than” Mr Comey was a reference to, but in the previous administration only the attorney general and former president Barack Obama would rank as more senior.
Mr Strzok and Ms Page have long been the subject of Republican suspicions after it emerged the pair, who were in an extramarital affair while investigating Mr Trump, exchanged texts disparaging of the then presidential candidate.
Mr Mueller later removed Mr Strzok from his team once the texts emerged, including one in which Mr Strzok told Ms Page the probe was an “insurance policy” in case Mr Trump won.
Experts have said Mr Trump’s treason accusations are baseless, since the founders narrowly defined the crime in the US constitution as “levying war” against the US or “adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort”.
The White House has been contacted for comment.