This came out of left field yesterday and Republicans are still trying to figure out exactly what’s going on.
The Senate Intelligence Committee subpoenaed Donald Trump Jr. in a move that belays the fact that he has already provided 27 hours of testimony to Congress.
SCOOP: Republican-led Senate Intel Committee subpoenas Donald Trump Jr. over Russia matters. First congressional subpoena – we know of – for one of President Trump’s children https://t.co/f8jQhkewPd
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) May 8, 2019
This is especially odd because the Senate is controlled by Republicans. No other committee has sought another interview with the President’s son precisely because Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the case is now closed. Respecting Mueller’s findings for what they are and all that.
Now the Senate Intel committee wants a do-over? Why? Who’s pushing this?
The current chairman is Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina. He’s shown a penchant in the past for getting run over. That appears to be what’s happening here. Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat, has been pushing for this for a while. It looks like Burr has capitulated.
This isn’t sitting well with some people, for obvious reasons.
A source close to Donald Trump Jr. states the following regarding Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr’s decision to subpoena Trump Jr. pic.twitter.com/QJn2Y7J4Xd
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) May 8, 2019
The first sentence is important. Trump Jr. is indeed a private citizen, which means Congress has no “oversight” role regarding him. To drag him back in front of the committee to ask him for the hundredth time about the Trump tower meeting, which the Mueller report found was an irrelevant nothing-burger, is bordering on abuse of subpoena power.
If it’s true that there was an agreement not to call him back, that’s even worse.
This has, of course, got Adam Schiff over in the House drooling, as he’s now been green-lighted by a Republican to keep pushing this.
The House Intelligence Committee may join the Senate Intelligence panel in issuing a subpoena to Donald Trump Jr., its chairman, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), tells MSNBC’s “The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell” https://t.co/HTScOpMepL
— Axios (@axios) May 9, 2019
Mitch McConnell needs to put a stop to this now. I don’t care how bi-partisan Burr desires to be, the stakes are too high to play along with a partisan hack like Warner’s games. They got to speak to Trump Jr. for nine hours already. Time to move on.
If Mark Warner or any other Democrat has further evidence necessitating more questioning, they can provide that as a pre-requisite. Otherwise, there’s no reason a Republican Senator should be helping to keep this charade going.
Via RedState
