Top GOP lawmakers are not pleased that their colleagues on the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee haven’t let the Russia probe die as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell instructed earlier this week.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) scolded the Republican members of his own committee for its decision to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. on Tuesday. He said he planned to talk to the chairman — Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) — and other members about “what we need to do to wrap up our investigation.” Despite the fact that the subpoena vote was bipartisan, Cornyn said the decision “smacks of politics.”
“I think we have an important job to do to try to keep the intelligence committee out of politics,” he said, adding that he sympathized with Trump Jr.’s “frustration.”
Cornyn: My understanding is @DonaldJTrumpJr has cooperated extensively with the committee, I can understand his frustration…At some pt this is not about finding facts. This smacks of politics and I think we have an impt job to do to try to keep the intel cmte out of politics. pic.twitter.com/WRasaDYzes
— Alan He (@alanhe) May 9, 2019
Democratic members of the committee have been pushing to review Trump Jr.’s testimony against key findings of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report since it came out. Lawmakers were specifically interested in his statements about the Trump Tower Moscow deal. In past Senate Intelligence Committee testimony, Trump Jr. claimed he knew very little about the plans.
Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Thom Tillis both invoked McConnell’s words to blast fellow Senate Republicans. Earlier this weekend in a speech from the Senate floor McConnell hit Democrats for keeping the Russia investigation alive with their oversight subpoenas.
“I agree with Leader McConnell: this case is closed,” Tillis tweeted.
I agree with Leader McConnell: this case is closed. The Mueller Report cleared @DonaldJTrumpJr and he’s already spent 27 hours testifying before Congress. Dems have made it clear this is all about politics. It’s time to move on & start focusing on issues that matter to Americans. https://t.co/11THs9LE0j
— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) May 9, 2019
Apparently the Republican chair of the Senate Intel Committee didn’t get the memo from the Majority Leader that this case was closed… https://t.co/jvV5PIX266
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) May 8, 2019
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) tweeted in defense of Trump Jr. and parroted a President Trump talking point by reiterating there was “NO collusion.”
“It’s time to move on,” he said.
.@DonaldJTrumpJr has already spent dozens of hours testifying in front of Congressional committees. Endless investigations—by either party—won't change the fact that there was NO collusion. It's time to move on. It’s time to focus on ISSUES, not investigations. https://t.co/fbFH5uMLUz
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) May 8, 2019
