The White House has announced that Trump won’t assert executive privilege and block James Comey from testifying in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
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Deputy Press Sec. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “The President’s power to assert executive privilege is very well established, however, to facilitate a swift and thorough examination of the facts sought by the Senate Intelligence Committee, President Trump will not assert executive privilege regarding James Comey’s testimony.”
The President may have the power to exert executive privilege, but legal experts have been saying for days that Trump waived his privilege when he talked about his conversations with Comey publicly. House Democrats warned Trump that if he tried to assert executive privilege, it would only serve to make him look guilty of obstruction of justice.
It wasn’t some great and grand gesture on Trump’s part. If he tried to block Comey from testifying, he would likely lose and then look guilty of obstruction of justice. Comey’s story was going to get out whether Trump tried to block him or not. The administration doesn’t get a gold star for avoiding doing something completely stupid for once/
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association