President Trump says that he cooperates with “everybody” after House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler announced Monday that he had delivered a batch of document requests as a first step in his investigation into the president and his associates.
“You know, beautiful thing, no collusion. It’s all a total hoax,” Mr. Trump said at a White House reception welcoming the 2018 Division I Football Championship Subdivision football champs North Dakota State Bison on Monday.
The president called the investigation a “political hoax,” telling the players, “You’re going to learn about that as you get older.”
On Monday Nadler revealed his committee has requested documents from more than 70 entities and individuals, from the White House to Donald Trump Jr. to Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg. Nadler is probing allegations of obstruction of justice and public corruption. The document request is the largest issued since Democrats took control of the lower chamber in January, and all the subpoena powers that come with it.
“It’s very clear that the president obstructed justice. It’s very clear — 1,100 times he referred to the Mueller investigation as a witch hunt,” Nadler said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” Sunday. “He tried to protect Flynn from being investigated by the FBI. He fired Comey in order to stop the ‘Russian thing.'”
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders acknowledged the receipt of the document request, saying in a statement, “The House Judiciary Committee’s letter has been received by the White House. The Counsel’s Office and relevant White House officials will review it and respond at the appropriate time.”
Nadler said impeachment proceedings are a “long way down the road,” and the Judiciary Committee is going to first “initiate proper investigations.”
At the reception, Mr. Trump said the Bison “achieved something truly remarkable.” DSU defeated Eastern Washington in January’s FCS title game to win its seventh national title in eight years. The players were treated to a sampling of fast food in the State Dining Room with a buffet of McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s and Chick-Fil-A.
“We got fast food,” Mr. Trump said to the crowd of players. “I know you people pretty well,” he added of college athlete culinary tastes.
CBS News’ Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.
