▁investigation ▁was ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁" deep ▁state ". ▁ ▁O pp osition ▁to ▁the ▁investigation ▁▁ ▁Through out ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Trump ▁and ▁his ▁al lies ▁in ▁Congress ▁and ▁the ▁media ▁have ▁prom ul g ated ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁false ▁narr atives ▁to ▁assert ▁that ▁the ▁F BI , ▁Justice ▁Department ▁and ▁Mu eller ▁investigation ▁have ▁been ▁engaged ▁in ▁an ▁elaborate , ▁cor rupt ▁consp i racy ▁against ▁Trump . ▁Among ▁other ▁things , ▁Trump ▁has ▁character ized ▁the ▁Mu eller ▁investigation ▁as ▁a ▁" rig ged ▁Russia ▁w itch ▁h unt ," ▁while ▁prominent ▁Trump ▁supp orter ▁Se an ▁Hann ity ▁has ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁" the ▁biggest ▁cor ruption ▁sc andal ▁in ▁American ▁history ." ▁On ▁May ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Trump ▁went ▁so ▁far ▁as ▁to ▁assert ▁that ▁the ▁Mu eller ▁investigation ▁intended ▁to ▁med d le ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁mid term ▁elections , ▁an ▁accus ation ▁Hann ity ▁rein for ced ▁on ▁his ▁Fox ▁News ▁show ▁that ▁night , ▁saying ▁Mu eller ▁" w ants ▁to ▁der ail ▁many ▁pro - Tr ump ▁Republic ans ▁in ▁the ▁mid ter ms ." ▁In ▁a ▁two - min ute ▁mon olog ue ▁that ▁same ▁day , ▁Fox ▁News ▁anch orm an ▁She p ard ▁Smith ▁flat ly ▁deb unk ed ▁that ▁assertion ▁and ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁other ▁Trump ▁narr atives , ▁saying ▁" you ▁laugh ▁at ▁them ▁because ▁there '