Former President Donald Trump has taken aim at the newly appointed special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, David Weiss, despite the fact that Trump is ultimately responsible for appointing him a U.S. attorney.
Trump offered criticism of Weiss on his Truth Social platform on Friday after U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that Weiss would serve as special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son.
Republicans have also been critical of a previously agreed plea deal that would have seen Hunter Biden plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay federal income tax and likely avoid jailtime following a five-year investigation.
However, that plea deal was rejected by a judge in July while at the same time, Republicans in the House of Representatives have continued to probe Hunter Biden's business affairs and allegations that his father was involved.
The White House has repeatedly denied that Biden had any involvement with his son's business affairs.
"David Weiss was picked by the two Democrat Senators from Delaware under 'Blue Slip.' He would not have been picked by me," Trump wrote on Friday.
"But I have a great idea. Why don't they use Deranged Jack Smith. Weiss has been investigating Hunter for 4 years, giving him the 'sweetheart' deal of all sweetheart deals," the former president went on.
"But a brilliant Judge in Delaware saw through it all. Now, I read, the Department of Injustice wants a new Judge and Jurisdiction. But so do I, with far stronger reasons than Hunter & Crooked Joe. MAGA!!!" he added.
Newsweek has reached out to the Department of Justice via its website for comment.
While Trump sought to place the blame for Weiss' appointment as a U.S. attorney on two Democratic senators, he is ultimately responsible for nominating Weiss to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware in 2017.
In a statement on November 17, 2017, the Trump White House described Weiss, along with other nominees, as sharing "the President's vision for 'Making America Safe Again.'"
"Accordingly, the President today announced his intent to nominate these individuals to serve their respective jurisdictions," the statement said, going on to list nominees for U.S. attorney and U.S. marshal.
Democratic Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper of Delaware favored the appointment of Weiss and played a role in his confirmation under a senatorial tradition known as the "blue-slip" policy. That policy allows senators to sign off presidential appointees for U.S. attorney for their home states.
However, Weiss was nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate by way of a voice vote on February 15, 2018. That essentially means there was no opposition to his appointment among the senators present.
Some social media users on X, formerly known as Twitter, pointed to the fact that Trump had nominated Weiss in 2017 and that Weiss is reportedly a registered Republican.
"Donald Trump about David Weiss: "He would not have been picked by me," wrote Republicans against Trump. "Fact: Trump appointed him in 2018 to serve as US attorney for the District of Delaware, and said that he shared his 'vision for 'Making America Safe Again.'"
"Republican Robert Mueller investigated Donald Trump. Republicans screamed bias," wrote Mehdi Hasan, host of MSNBC's The Mehdi Hasan Show.
"Republican David Weiss investigates Hunter Biden. Republicans scream bias. Dems don't get to investigate Dems but Republicans get to investigate Republicans *and* Dems & then still scream bias," he said.
Journalist Aaron Rupar shared screenshots of Trump's Truth Social post and a 2017 AP report about Trump nominating Weiss, writing: "shot, chaser."
