Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images
Trump is once again at odds with the Department of Justice: he wants the classified memo, written by Republican members of the House Intelligence committee, to be released to the public, Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: Trump has consistently tried to discredit Bob Mueller's Russia probe, even going so far as to considering firing both Mueller and Rod Rosenstein. Releasing this classified memo, which the DOJ said would be “extraordinarily reckless," would be another significant way Trump is interfering in the investigation.
Why he wants it released: He thinks the contents could "provide him with grounds for either firing or forcing Rosenstein to leave," according to someone familiar with his comments who talked to the Post. He also thinks the memo will help people see "how the FBI and the Mueller probe are biased against him."
Shot: "Trump, appearing frustrated and at times angry, has complained to confidants and aides in recent weeks that he does not understand why he cannot simply give orders to “my guys” at what he sometimes calls the 'Trump Justice Department.'”
Chaser: "A common thread ties many of the incidents together: a president accustomed to functioning as the executive of a private family business who does not seem to understand that his subordinates have sworn an oath to the Constitution rather than to him."