Fresh off of their election victory, House Democrats are taking to the Sunday talk shows to explain how huge of a Constitutional crisis President Trump has created with the appointment of Matt Whitaker as interim attorney general.
Minority leader (and presumably speaker-to-be) Nancy Pelosi said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that Whitaker’s appointment does “violence to the Constitution” because of “statements he has made in the public domain” related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian collusion and the 2016 election.
Acting AG Whitaker’s appointment does violence to the Constitution. @FaceTheNation pic.twitter.com/nhDeZePyoA
— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) November 11, 2018
Rep. Adam Schiff (who will presumably be the next chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence) said he’s not convinced that Whitaker is Constitutionally eligible to hold the position.
If Whitaker doesn't recuse himself and has any involvement in Mueller's probe, we will expose it, including whether he made any commitments to Trump, is serving as a back channel, or interfering in the probe.
He will be held accountable. There must be no ambiguity about that. pic.twitter.com/ZpNmOynWLi
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 11, 2018
Schiff says he thinks it’s a danger to the Constitution for him to be in the position, but when pressed about it, says “I don’t know whether he’s legally required” to recuse himself.
Meanwhile, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham explained why he believes Whitaker does not need to recuse himself.
Sen. Lindsey Graham tells @FaceTheNation he doesn't think Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker needs to recuse himself from overseeing the Mueller probe he has criticized: "I am confident that the Mueller investigation will be allowed to come to a good, solid conclusion" pic.twitter.com/uWDI7oHQZa
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 11, 2018
Key line from Sen. Graham contradicting the Democrats’ basis for wanting to recuse Whitaker (comments he has made in the past): “You don’t recuse somebody because they have opinions different than the people they are overseeing.”
Graham also said he expects a new attorney general to be appointed early next year.
Where were these recuse-at-all-costs Democrats when Loretta Lynch, who had a private meeting with Bill Clinton, was the head of the DOJ and in charge of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server?
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