‘The Walls Are Closing In’ On Trump, Nadler Says

Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) Image by Getty Images

By Josh Nathan-Kazis May 21, 2018

Rep. Jerry Nadler said President Trump is acting like someone who’s guilty.

The Manhattan Democrat slammed Trump’s push to force the Department of Justice to investigate the FBI probe of Russian links to his campaign.

“What the president is doing here is acting as someone who…who knows he’s guilty and is very upset that the walls are closing in, and that the investigators are closing in on him,” Nadler told WNYC’s Brian Lehrer.

I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes – and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2018

Nadler, who represents parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan, is the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. He was responding to a tweet the president posted on Sunday saying that he would order the DOJ to investigate whether the FBI “infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes.”

“I think it’s another act in an ongoing obstruction of justice,” Nadler told Lehrer. “It’s not only an intimidation, but this is going off on a complete tangent.”

Nadler said that he thought the president feeling the pressure from investigators. “He’s obviously not confident that Mueller will exonerate him,” Nadler said.

Josh Nathan-Kazis is a staff writer for the Forward. He covers charities and politics, and writes investigations and longform.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO