Republicans in Congress appear to be finding the Trump administration’s ties to Russia hard to defend as each passing day brings about another damning revelation connecting Donald Trump’s team with Russian efforts to derail Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
That was clear on Saturday as GOP Rep. Leonard Lance of New Jersey, one Republican who has been tough on the White House, refused o rule out criminal activity on the part of the president and his team.
Video:
Wow: GOP rep repeats that he won’t rule out criminal activity on the part of the Trump team #Russia pic.twitter.com/ypUreY0yQg
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
— Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) July 15, 2017
When asked by MSNBC’s Alex Witt whether he has concerns that the Trump campaign’s behavior “could be criminal,” Lance said he couldn’t rule it out: “I leave that up to criminal experts, to Mr. Mueller. I was the first Republican to call for the recusal of the Attorney General of the United States in matters regarding Russia, and that led to a chain of events that has led to the appointment of Mr. Mueller, and I have full confidence in Mr. Mueller.”
Lance’s refusal to rule out a massive criminal conspiracy on the part of the president’s campaign team comes after he made similar comments late Friday.
Video:
Remarkable moment. GOP Rep. Leonard Lance tells @chrislhayes he cannot rule out that the Trump team engaged in a criminal conspiracy. pic.twitter.com/zBli1mOYXH
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 15, 2017
Hayes asked, “Can you definitively say … ‘I am 100 percent sure the president and his campaign did not engage in a criminal conspiracy with a foreign intelligence apparatus.'”
When Lance responded that he could not rule that out, the MSNBC host said: “Think about how remarkable that is.”
Lance’s response, even though it’s coming from a Republican who has historically been tough on Trump, shows that even the president’s own party is finding it impossible to defend his campaign’s behavior.
As Hayes pointed out on Friday, it’s remarkable that some sitting members of Congress are no longer able to rule out whether the President of the United States engaged in a massive criminal conspiracy with a foreign adversary.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
