May 23, 2018 🟠 Major

Pushes "Spygate" conspiracy claiming FBI planted spy in his campaign

Trump tweeted that the FBI had run a spy inside his 2016 campaign, branding it "SPYGATE" and calling it "one of the biggest political scandals in history," despite no evidence. He demanded investigations and briefings on the confidential source, amplifying a false narrative to discredit the Russia probe and pressure DOJ.

“SPYGATE could be one of the biggest political scandals in history!” — Twitter thread escalating attacks on FBI informant reports, May 23, 2018 Quote verified against source

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legacy

Framed routine counterintelligence use of a confidential source as illegal spying, seeding future attacks on the Mueller investigation.

legacy

Demands for classified briefings for political allies eroded DOJ independence and normalized intervention in active probes.