President Donald Trump on Tuesday ripped the House impeachment inquiry and stressed the portion of the Justice Department inspector general's report that said the FBI "spied" on his presidential campaign.
"It all started with the Russia witch hunt," Trump told a campaign rally in Hershey, Pennsylvania. "Then the inspector general's shocking report proved that the Obama FBI obtained secret warrants to spy on my campaign based on a phony foreign dossier of debunked smears paid for by crooked Hillary Clinton and the DNC. . . .
"Folks, they spied on our campaign, OK," Trump said. "They spied. Never happened before in the history of our country, and we're really wise to it."
House Democrats earlier in the day announced two articles of impeachment against Trump – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Trump spent part of Tuesday criticizing the hearings and referred to the entire process as a "WITCH HUNT."
At the rally, the president also mocked ex-FBI officials Lisa Page and Peter Strzok and said their text messages prove the agents working on the Russia probe were biased.
"They write that there was no bias, and yet he's saying, 'no, no, darling, we'll stop it,'" Trump said, summarizing a text message Strzok sent to Page.
Page and Strzok were having an extramarital affair.
Trump also claimed the FBI deliberately "hid" evidence so they could continue their probe.
"They knew right at the beginning that it was all a frame up, a set up," Trump said.
"Look how they have hurt people. They've destroyed the lives of people that were great people. That are still great people," Trump added. "Their lives have been destroyed by scum. OK. By scum."