If there was no “grand scheme” between Trump and Russia, why does the president lie constantly about being exonerated for it?

This is part of a pattern of misrepresenting inconclusive, or in some cases quite damning, testimony to dupe his core supporters into believing he is the subject of a witch hunt.

He’s referring to former DHS Secretary Johnson, who testified before the House intelligence committee on Wednesday and said nothing of the sort. For instance, consider the following exchange with the committee’s vice chairman, Adam Schiff:

SCHIFF: [D]o you believe that Director Comey would’ve opened a counterintelligence investigation on a presidential campaign lightly, or on mere hunch?

JOHNSON: I -- No.

SCHIFF: He would need some evidentiary information basis to do so?

JOHNSON: Based on every thing I know about Jim Comey and the FBI, yes.

Trump’s behavior isn’t that of someone who is confident he’ll be exonerated. It’s the behavior of someone trying to discredit investigations of his conduct because he’s concerned about what they’ll turn up.