The majority of Republicans who have appeared on television to defend Donald Trump recently have begun to take on the mannerisms of an abused spouse. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) refuses to look into the eyes of the reporters any more. Devin Nunes (R-CA) has expressed many of the same similarities, but listen to the way he speaks.
Nunes is the current minority leader of the House Intelligence Committee, a job that Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) had before Republicans lost the House in 2018. Nunes sat in with Fox News’ Ed Henry and watched as he played House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) video. He also mentioned the whistleblower’s attorney’s tweets.
In the video, McCarthy compared the House’s impeachment hearings a “calculated coup.” Henry asked Nunes:
‘Is this a calculated coup against President Trump, and if so, how do you back that up?’
Nunes called it “the cheap knockoff version of the Russia hoax:”
‘It appears like some bureaucracy — some parts of the bureaucracy were really mad that they didn’t like that President Trump had a special envoy to Ukraine. They didn’t like that he was sending Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to find out where the dirt was coming from that the Democrats were using to feed to the FBI.’
Henry returned to “the coup” language, and he questioned Nunes about whether he believed it:
‘There’s no question that it’s a coup. I’ve called it in the past a paper coup. Nobody’s rising up arms against the government, but when they started out at the very beginning of Congress talking about impeaching the president, nearly every mainstream media outlet, nearly every professional that you see in Washington in the swamp there, they just didn’t like that a businessman from New York with no political experience became the president.’
Henry continued pushing Nunes:
‘Impeachment is in the Constitution. So how is it a coup if Democrats are going through the procedures that were set up by the Framers?’
Nunes replied, saying a “credible impeachment” would follow precedent, He added that both parties should have subpoena power and:
‘[B]oth parties have whatever witnesses they want. [It should be a ] fair process [for Donald Trump].’
The congressman has also added the whistleblower to the Republicans’ witness list. Apparently, he has also been trying to get Schiff to testify “behind closed doors, too.”
Henry asked the California representative:
‘Is this a calculated coup against President Trump, and if so, how do you back that up?’
Nunes responded:
‘[It’s] the cheap knockoff version of the Russia hoax. It appears like some bureaucracy — some parts of the bureaucracy were really mad that they didn’t like that President Trump had a special envoy to Ukraine. They didn’t like that he was sending Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to find out where the dirt was coming from that the Democrats were using to feed to the FBI.’
Henry seemed quite interested in “the coup.” Once again, he questioned whether the representative believed the rhetoric:
‘There’s no question that it’s a coup. I’ve called it in the past a paper coup. Nobody’s rising up arms against the government, but when they started out at the very beginning of Congress talking about impeaching the president, nearly every mainstream media outlet, nearly every professional that you see in Washington in the swamp there, they just didn’t like that a businessman from New York with no political experience became the president.’
Henry said:
‘Impeachment is in the Constitution. [S[o how is it a coup if Democrats are going through the procedures that were set up by the Framers?’
Nunes replied:
‘[A] credible impeachment [would follow precedent]. [Both parties would] have whatever witnesses they want.’
The representative returned to Republicans’ talking points requesting “subpoena power” in both parties. Plus, he repeated that the House owed Trump a “fair process.”
Click on this link to watch Ed Henry’s full interview with Devin Nunes.
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
