Sarah Huckabee Sanders Panics And Dodges On Trump Taking The Fifth

Sarah Huckabee Sanders was twice asked about Trump taking the Fifth Amendment if he subpoenaed by Mueller, and each time with a hint of panic in her voice, she dodged the question and quickly moved on.

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Q: Yesterday that the president could plead the fifth if he’s subpoenaed by the special counsel. I want to know why the president would even go that route if he hasn’t done anything wrong, as he said repeatedly, that there was no collusion and there was no obstruction of justice?

Huckabee Sanders: That’s a question you’d have to ask the outside special counsel. I’m not a lawyer. I couldn’t address that.

Q: In the same vein, does the president believe he is within his executive powers to reject a subpoena from the special counsel’s office?

Huckabee Sanders: That’s a question I would refer you to special counsel.

Huckabee Sanders not only dodged the question, but she did so by claiming that she was short on time, and had to move on. The White House Press Secretary made it clear that she does not want to talk about Trump taking the Fifth. It doesn’t matter if she is an attorney or not. She speaks for the White House. She could easily say that if asked in any setting Trump intends to tell the truth to the Special Counsel.

Instead of providing an answer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ go-to defense is that she either doesn’t know or isn’t qualified to answer. The White House doesn’t want to talk about Trump testifying or taking the Fifth Amendment. The Press Secretary had plenty of time to talk about the Russia investigation as a waste of time, but when the topic turned to Trump under oath, she had to run.

This act isn’t fooling anybody. The Trump presidency is burning and avoiding the questions doesn’t help.

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Jason Easley

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