Devin Nunes' hometown paper slams ‘laughable’ idea he deserves medal
The same paper that endorsed Nunes for 16 years is now savaging him for protecting Trump.
Rep. Devin Nunes’ (R-CA) hometown paper came down on him like a ton of bricks after Trump suggested giving Nunes a “very important medal” for his campaign to undermine the Russia investigation.
During an interview with “Fox & Friends” last week, Trump said that “Devin Nunes should get the Medal of Honor. What he’s gone through, and his bravery, he should get a very important medal.”
He then suggested a Medal of Freedom, since Nunes is a civilian.
The “Medal of Honor” comment drew condemnation from Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a U.S. Army veteran who lost both her legs while serving in the Iraq War, and who eviscerated Trump for “insult(ing) real Medal of Honor recipients.”
Trump’s “Medal of Freedom” suggestion didn’t go over any better with his hometown paper’s editorial board. The Fresno Bee published a scathing editorial slamming the “laughable” idea.
The paper pointed out that even the Medal of Freedom is normally given for a recipient’s “life’s work,” and that Nunes “has been roundly criticized for failing to advance any meaningful legislation for all his years in Congress.”
Indeed, when the Bee asked Nunes to name his accomplishments after 15 years in Congress, he could only come up with a two things. During his February Q&A with the editorial board, Nunes cited a provision of the GOP tax scam and took credit for raising awareness about his district’s water issues.
The paper also took Nunes to task for his handling of the Russia probe, which it called “highly controversial, damaging and embarrassing.”
“How ironic that the very medal Trump wants to give Nunes is called ‘Medal of Freedom,'” the board wrote. “Freedom from a real investigation?”
The paper concluded by suggesting that Trump show his gratitude to Nunes with “a stay at a Trump hotel, complete with some free breakfasts.”
Nunes has engaged in a relentless effort to protect Trump by obstructing the Russia probe. In early 2017, Nunes helped the White House fabricate allegations that Trump associates were improperly “unmasked” in intelligence reports in order to cast the Justice Department as biased against Trump.
Since then, Nunes has waged war on the Justice Department by spinning lies and conspiracy theories intended to undermine the investigation, and provide a pretext for Trump to oust officials like Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
Nunes got the Fresno Bee’s endorsement in all eight of his previous congressional races, but Nunes’ handling of the Russia probe earned him the title of “Trump’s stooge” from the editorial board this time around, and an endorsement for Nunes’ opponent, Andrew Janz.
Devin Nunes doesn’t deserve a medal of any kind, but in a few weeks, his work on behalf of Trump could earn him an extended vacation from the constituents he has spent eight years avoiding.
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