Trump Lashes Out: Alleges Schiff ‘Illegally’ Leaks Classified Info – By John Bennett (rollcall.com) / Feb 5 2018
President acknowledges morning ‘Fox & Friends’ habit after harsh SNL skit
President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at House Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff, tweeting the California Democrat is “one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington.”
Three days after Schiff slammed Trump for releasing a memo compiled by House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., and his staff that alleged misconduct by senior law enforcement officials early in the Russia election meddling probe, the president turned his sights on Schiff.
He tweeted that Schiff is, in the president’s view, “right up there with Comey, Warner, Brennan and Clapper!” He was referring to the FBI director he fired (James Comey), the Democratic vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee (Mark Warner), President Barack Obama’s last CIA director who defended the Russia probe on television over the weekend (John Brennan) and Obama’s final DNI who also defended Justice Department leaders (James Clapper).
Trump gave him a nickname, “Little Adam Schiff,” while alleging Schiff “leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information.” The president also wrote that Schiff is “desperate to run for higher office” and “Must be stopped!”
A Schiff spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s allegations.
The tweet comes as Trump could by week’s end have to decide whether to release a Schiff-crafted memo rebutting a GOP-crafted one made public last week questioning the validity of the Justice Department’s Russia probe.
Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, right up there with Comey, Warner, Brennan and Clapper! Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2018
Democratic members were quick to blast the commander in chief and defend Schiff. One, Rep. Karen Bass of California, was on CNN’s “New Day” program as the anti-Schiff tweet went live. The hosts read it to her on air and she called it an “embarrassment.”
Rep. Karen Bass responds to Trump tweeting about her colleague Rep. Adam Schiff, calling him "Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office": "This is the President of the United States … It's an embarrassment on the international stage." pic.twitter.com/LBD9RFvVn9
— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) February 5, 2018
House Intelligence member Eric Swalwell, also of California, responded by suggesting Trump’s view of Schiff stems from an exchange the ranking member had with Donald Trump Jr. during a classified hearing.
Is this because Adam asked Donny Jr. a question and wouldn’t take Donny’s invoking the “Privileged Privilege” as a an excuse to dodge questions? Comey, Warner, Brennan, & Clapper? That’s the new Mt. Rushmore! https://t.co/mnNlz5ye3v
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) February 5, 2018
Additionally, Trump started Monday by charging Democrats with supporting massive tax hikes to pay for a universal health care system, then giving a shout out to a morning news program from which critics say he gets much of his information.
Democrats want to “greatly raise taxes for really bad and non-personal medical care,” the president wrote in a tweet around 7 a.m. Trump contended Democratic members are “pushing for Universal HealthCare while thousands of people are marching in the UK because their U system is going broke and not working.”
“No thanks!” he said about such a system in the United States.
The Democrats are pushing for Universal HealthCare while thousands of people are marching in the UK because their U system is going broke and not working. Dems want to greatly raise taxes for really bad and non-personal medical care. No thanks!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2018
The Guardian newspaper reported that “thousands of people” took to London’s streets Saturday “bearing placards with slogans including ‘more staff, more beds, more funds’, and ‘Saving lives costs money, Saving money costs lives.’” They were there for a protest called “NHS in crisis: Fix it now.”
Trump often has criticized Democrats, especially in the Senate, for opting to oppose various GOP efforts to repeal and replace — or otherwise target — the Obama-era 2010 health law. His tweet, however, comes as he will need some Senate Democrats to help him prevent a government shutdown at midnight Friday.
Meantime, the president also attempted to defend his morning habit of watching the “Fox & Friends” morning show on Fox News Channel. (The program on the conservative-leaning news network often heaps praise on and defends Trump when its competitors offer critical coverage or interview Democrats.)
Trump thanked the program for, in his view, “exposing the truth,” adding perhaps that is why its “ratings are soooo much better than your untruthful competition!”
The tweet followed a “Saturday Night Live” skit that featured Alec Baldwin playing Trump laying in bed eating McDonalds in his pajamas calling into the Fox morning show.
“I’m saving the economy, destroying ISIS and right now I’m getting my daily intelligence briefing,” the fictional Trump said.
“Oh, from who?” asked Alex Moffat playing “Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy.
The faux president responded: “From you guys.”
http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/trump-lashes-alleges-schiff-illegally-leaks-classified-info
PB/TK – How about Parties stop releasing memos with their narratives on investigations and either release everything or a joint non-partisan memo. It’s that easy folks, everything is about “Party First” not the “People First”
