Trump Deflects Mueller Testimony By Suggesting A Probe Into Obama's Book Deal

President Donald Trump on Friday sniped at Democrats over the investigations hes been threatened with and deflected the issue by saying former President Barack Obama should be investigated instead.

Sitting in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that they should be concerned about Obamas book deal but didnt specify which one.

I think its a disgrace what the Democrats are doing, Trump said of the calls for investigations into his 2016 campaign and possible obstruction of justice.

Lets look into Obama the way they looked at me. They could look into the book deal that President Obama made, Trump continued. Lets subpoena all of his records.

He also called for lawmakers to investigate his 2016 presidential rival, Hillary Clinton, which hes been insisting on for years.

Trump floats investigating Obama's book deal pic.twitter.com/N1ILGaqmjg

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Trump floats investigating Obama's book deal pic.twitter.com/N1ILGaqmjg
TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) July 26, 2019

In 2017, Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama signed a joint book deal with Penguin Random House reportedly worth more than $65 million, according to the Financial Times .

The former president is working on a memoir as part of that deal, which is expected to be released in 2020 as the presidential campaigns heat up. Michelle Obama published her popular memoir, Becoming, last year.

There are two other books under Barack Obamas belt, both written before his presidency. Dreams From my Father, a memoir, was published in 1995, and The Audacity of Hope was released in 2006.

This is the first time Trump has publicly claimed a conspiracy involving Obamas book deal, making the rant appear to be a distraction after former special counsel Robert Muellers congressional testimony Wednesday.

Before two House committees in back-to-back hearings, Mueller testified that Trump could be charged with obstruction of justice after he left office and said that the president had not been entirely truthful in his written answers for the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Mueller also refuted Trumps claims of total exoneration on the allegations investigated, confirming that the report did not exonerate Trump from any crimes.

Trump continues to claim that the special counsel probe yielded nothing incriminating and said as much again Friday.

I watched Bob Mueller and they have nothing. There is no collusion, there is no obstruction, they have nothing. Its a disgrace, Trump said.