Rep. Adam Schiff responded to Sarah Huckabee Sanders making baseless allegations against him with a smile and the sly observation that he doesn’t think that she likes him very much. He later added that he is working on legislation to make Trump turn over records associated with his pardons to Congress.
Video:
Transcript via ABC’s This Week:
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And we are joined now by the ranking democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Adam Schiff. Congressman, thank you for joining us this morning.
I want to start out, got to give you a chance to respond to Sarah Sanders from the White House just to remind everybody what she said just a few minutes ago, and so Adam Schiff barely, rarely bases any comments in realty, talk about a grand stander (ph). He is probably hook, line and sinker buddies with Jim Comey.
They both have never found a T.V. camera they don’t love to be in front of.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIF.: I don’t think she likes me very much, George. Well you’d have to believe that the president picked (ph) (inaudible) out of a hat, out of the thousands of people seeking to pardon, this was a complete coincidence. I don’t find that the least bit credible.
I think the president is sending a message. Basically, I will use the pardon power to pardon people even out of a convicted oath, leaking our obstruction of justice, if you’re with me, I have your back.
I think this is the very blatant message the president is trying to send, and I’m working on legislation, frankly, that would say that any pardon that the president issues in which he is a potential witness, subject or target, the files ought to be provided to Congress so the American people can tell whether this is part of an obstruction of justice.
Schiff’s bill would turn Trump’s pardons into evidence that could be used against him
Speaker Ryan won’t allow a vote on a bill protecting Special Counsel Mueller, so there is no chance that this bill will pass before next January. Democrats want to have legislation ready to pass as soon as they take back the House.The bill that Schiff describes could turn any Trump pardon into evidence that could lead to his impeachment. Trump could still pardon, but if he used pardons to obstruct justice, the House could use the pardons as impeachment evidence.
The wheels are in motion, and if Democrats take the House, Trump will be in for a world of hurt.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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
