When Confronted With A Donald Trump Jr. Crime, GOP Senator Calls For Mueller Investigation To End

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) responded to a question about Donald Trump Jr. potentially committing a crime by lying to Congress with a call for the Mueller investigation to end.

Video of Sen. Rob Portman on NBC’s Meet The Press:

Transcript via Meet The Press:

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CHUCK TODD:

Let me start with the Michael Cohen situation, because he is now contradicting something that Donald Trump Jr. said under oath to Congress, and whether it was under oath or not, lying to Congress is a crime. Donald Trump Jr. told the Judiciary Committee that he did not tell his father about anything of the Trump Tower meeting, before or after. Michael Cohen apparently is contradicting him. Should Michael Cohen be called before the Judiciary Committee and clear this up sooner rather than later?

SEN. ROB PORTMAN:

I think the Mueller investigation is probably the place it should be cleared up, but you know, that’s up to the Judiciary Committee.

CHUCK TODD:

If this is something that — let me ask you this, you as a Republican senator, would you want to see the Judiciary Committee sort of clean this up since they’ve gone done this road, or you would say punt? You would tell Senator Grassley, your advice would be, “Leave it alone?”

SEN. ROB PORTMAN:

Well, I think it’s going to be, you know, a he said and he said issue. So I think it’s probably better that, you know, this goes through the regular process, which is ongoing, Chuck. And I think the Mueller investigation ought to be brought to an end also. I mean, we need to have the facts lead to the right conclusion, and so I support the investigation, I have from the start. But we do need to wrap it up, and you know, I’m not an expert on Michael Cohen, never met the guy. I am not on the Judiciary Committee; I’m not involved in this issue directly. But I do believe that it’s important for us to get to the bottom of it, but do it expeditiously.

The President’s son lied to Congress about a crime, and a United States Senator’s response was that the investigation that is uncovering evidence about these crimes needs to end.

Portman’s answer was a perfect example of what critics mean they stress that the Republican Congressional majority in the House and the Senate are covering up for Donald Trump on the Russia scandal. If the situation were reversed and a Democratic president’s child lied to Congress about a crime, Senators like Rob Portman would be calling for that witness to come back and answer questions before the committee.

Republicans are stopping the American people from learning the truth about what happened in 2016. They are a roadblock and Trump’s protectors. If you want a real congressional investigation into the 2016 election vote for Democratic House and Senate candidates in November, because that is the only way that it is ever going to happen.

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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