CNN’s Jake Tapper took apart Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) for standing behind firing IGs while he blew a gasket about Obama.
Transcript via CNN’s State Of The Union:
TAPPER: Well, no one questions whether or not he has the authority to do so.
But I really have to say, I find it hard to believe that, if President Obama had gotten rid of four inspector generals — inspectors general in six weeks, that you would have the same attitude that you seem to have right now.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
JOHNSON: Jake, again, two of those inspector generals under President Obama resigned under the scrutiny of my oversight.
So, again, I’m not going to speak specifically to this case, with — quite honestly, with this inspector general, both Senator Grassley and I have had had a real problem with his responsiveness to in particularly one oversight request.
I spoke with senior officials both in the White House and the State Department. I understand their reasoning. I don’t know whether they’re going to provide a more robust rationale for why they do it. But I understand it. And I don’t disagree with it.
I don’t think anything that this administration could say is going to satisfy some people. There will still be people huffing and puffing and stomping their feet. But, again, it is the president’s decision whether or not to hire or terminate an inspector general.
TAPPER: Well, what was their reasoning?
Because all the public knows is that this acting inspector general was investigating whether or not Secretary of State Pompeo was misusing a political appointee to do personal errands for him. That’s according to Democratic aides on Capitol Hill.
And then a senior administration official has said Pompeo asked Trump to remove this inspector general investigating him, and President Trump did so.
What are they telling you that makes you feel like you understand their reasoning?
JOHNSON: Again, I’m — I’m — I’m not going discuss my private conversations with senior administration officials.
Video:
Tapper to Senator Johnson: I find it hard to believe that if President Obama had gotten rid of four Inspectors General in six weeks that you would have the same attitude that you seem to have right now pic.twitter.com/7e9sBsVUT1
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) May 17, 2020
Johnson’s reasoning is simple. Obama=bad and Trump=good.
It is telling that Sen. Johnson wouldn’t disclose what the Trump administration told him to make him more comfortable, because the White House could have told him anything, and he would have gone along with it.
Journalists in the establishment media need to be more like Tapper and stop being so afraid of losing access. Access journalism is a disservice to the American people. It is important that lawmakers be put on the hot seat when they behave hypocritically in the name of partisan politics.
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
