Trump wants congressman 'forced out of office' for investigating him

Trump has a history of obstructing investigations into his criminal conduct, and now he looks desperate to find a way to stop one of Congress’s top investigators from getting to the truth.

“Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress!” Trump said Thursday morning. Trump made similar accusations Wednesday night during an interview on Fox News.

Schiff “is a disgrace to our country,” Trump told Sean Hannity. “Schiff is a bad guy because he knew he was lying.”

Schiff, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, says there is clear and compelling evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 campaign. In February 2018, Schiff said, “You can see evidence in plain sight on the issue of collusion, pretty compelling evidence.”

Trump is making the accusations of lying based on a four-page summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s 22-month investigation. The summary was written by Trump’s hand-picked Attorney General, which one member of the Oversight committee described as “an elaborate public relations ploy.” Democrats are demanding to see the full, uncensored Mueller report.

Earlier this year, Schiff re-opened the congressional investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, including looking into any possible “coordination between the Russian government, or related foreign actors, and individuals associated with Donald Trump’s campaign, transition, administration, or business interests.” Schiff re-opened the investigation because the previous chair of the committee, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), used his position to shill for the Trump administration.

This is not Trump’s first attempt to obstruct an investigation into alleged criminal activities committed by himself or his associates. He reportedly asked former FBI Director James Comey to stop investigating Trump campaign surrogate and Trump’s pick for national security adviser Michael Flynn. Later, Trump fired Comey, who was also looking into collusion between Trump and Russia during the 2016 election. Trump admitted on national television that he fired Comey because of the Russia investigation.

In an Oval Office meeting with Russian diplomats, he told them he fired Comey to ease the pressure of a Russia investigation.

Unfortunately for Trump, he has no way to stop Schiff’s investigation. At the February State of the Union, Trump threatened Congress to stop all their investigations. Democrats brushed off the threat.

“We will not be bullied by the president of the United States,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), chair of the House Democrats, said at the time.

When Republicans in Congress recently called for Schiff to step down, he shot them down.

“I’m more than used to attacks from my GOP colleagues and I would expect nothing less,” Shiff said earlier this week.

Trump may be able to manipulate his own administration, but Congress is a separate and co-equal branch of government. Trump is about the learn the hard way that Adam Schiff will continue his role as chair of the Intelligence committee and there’s nothing Trump can do to stop it.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.