Politics

Trump blasts memo, Rep. Adam Schiff on Fox News, then says 'We have to bring the country together'

Christal Hayes
WATCH LIVE
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with congressional members in the Cabinet Room of the White House February 13, 2018 in Washington, DC.
Getty Images

Hours after a controversial memo was released Saturday as a rebuttal to serious allegations about the FBI, President Trump called into Fox News and said he felt the document "was a nothing" and merely verified allegations that the FBI had abused its power.

"It was a nothing," he told Fox News host Jeanine Pirro. "That was really just a confirmation of, if you call it the Republican memo or the Nunes memo, it's referred to as a lot of things, but that was nothing but a confirmation."

Trump spent several hours watching — and tweeting about — Fox News before calling into "Justice with Judge Jeanine" and talking about a number of topics, including a possible military parade and his call for tighter gun laws following the Feb. 14 shooting at a Florida high school.

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The president started the more than 20-minute conversation with Pirro by talking about the Democratic memo, which was released Saturday after a tedious back-and-forth that lasted weeks.

The memo, compiled by Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, attempted to outline mischaracterizations and omissions from another memo released by committee Republicans earlier this month. Republicans, in their memo, accused the FBI of obtaining a FISA surveillance warrant to spy on former Trump campaign aide Carter Page by using information in a controversial dossier by former British spy Christopher Steele, which was funded by Democrats and the Hillary Clinton campaign.

While talking about the memo, Trump blasted Schiff, calling him a "bad guy" and suggested that the California Democrat might be breaking the law and leaking information to reporters.

He then said the memo verifies that the "other side" did "fraudulent" things and should be investigated.

Then, Trump called for the country to come together as one.

"We have to bring the country together," he said, adding that the bickering between parties was "ripping" Americans apart.

Pirro asked Trump about gun-control laws and a possible military parade in Washington, D.C.

Trump repeated his call for arming some teachers, expanding background checks to include those with mental illnesses and increasing the age to purchase assault rifles to 21, a divide from the National Rifle Association.

"This should be bipartisan," he said on tightening gun laws. "It's time to get it done and get it done right."

Trump also confirmed reports that a military parade was in the works and could be planned for July 4 or Veterans Day.

"We're talking about probably Veterans Day," he said, adding that he liked the option of having it on July 4.