Though a year into Donald J. Trump's presidency, it seems he is still running a race against Hillary Clinton.
While investigations into Hillary Clinton, namely into her emails and the Clinton Foundation, were dropped in 2016, allegations of corruption within the Clintons' charity organization have resurfaced. The investigation previously was dropped due to the Department of Justice's (DOJ) fear that their investigators would be seen as trying to hurt Clinton's chances in the election, as well as a lack of evidence. The investigation pertains to the idea of donors to the Clinton Foundation being promised policy favors or special access to Clinton while she was Secretary of State. Specifically, investigators are looking into if donations made were tied to a 2010 decision made by the Obama administration to allow a Russian nuclear agency to buy Uranium One, a company that owned access to uranium in the United States. Craig Minassian, a Clinton Foundation representative, dismissed such allegations by saying, "time after time, the Clinton Foundation has been subjected to politically motivated allegations, and time after time these allegations have been proven false."
During the campaign, Trump coined the phrase "Crooked Hillary" while promising jail time for Clinton. However, following the election, Trump stated he was no longer interested in prosecution. Nevertheless, Trump continues to regularly demand investigations of his former political rival. This investigation is led by the FBI, special prosecutors, overseen by the US Attorney's office, and directed by none other than Jeff Sessions. Since Watergate, the DOJ has conducted criminal investigations largely free of White House influence. However, Trump has declared "absolute authority" over the DOJ.
Donald Trump is somewhat a magician, using the concept of misdirection. By continuing to investigate Hillary Clinton, Trump is able to distract the American people from himself. He is also making good on the promises he made on the campaign trail to "lock her up". Trump is a narcissist and has a need to win against Hillary since his presidency continues to be referred to as illegitimate due to Clinton's win of the popular vote.
Now, I am biased in this argument. As most of you know, I love Hillary Clinton, I even go to her alma mater, Wellesley College. Therefore, I will offer you the counter argument. The Washington Post reported that the FBI has been quietly investigating the Clinton Foundation for years, dating back to 2015. One might argue that Clinton was being investigated long before the election, giving the inspections cause without Donald Trump.
Though that might be, Trump is still using these investigations to his benefit by fulfilling his personal vendetta and distracting the American people from his own failures.
