Ex-CIA Texas Republican calls for Trump to come clean on Russia

The increasingly troubling story — a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma — has become so far-fetched that even ardent supporters like Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), who notoriously used the Benghazi tragedy to wage a viciously partisan, and specious, crusade against Hillary Clinton, are criticizing the Trump administration’s lies about its relationship with Russia.

And the heat is being turned up: Special counsel Robert Mueller is now investigating the controversial meeting.

And now, another Republican has joined the rising chorus of GOP criticisms of the “nuisance and distraction ” caused by the Trump camp’s lies about and desperate courting of Russia.

Rep. Will Hurd of Texas knows of what he speaks — he has a wealth of experience dealing with Russian operatives first-hand, from his close to ten years’ experience as an undercover CIA officer.

On Meet the Press Daily, Hurd urged the Trump administration to stop playing games and come clean regarding its dealings with Russia.

After telling host Katy Tur that he would not have taken such a meeting as Trump Jr.’s — despite Trump’s insistence that “most people” would have done so because “That’s politics!” — Hurd noted that it was his experience as a CIA officer which informed that point of view.

“I spent nine and a half years as an undercover officer in the CIA, and I dealt with Russian intelligence pretty much in most of my tours,” he stated, adding, “Russian intelligence is notorious for trying to do set-ups, trying to get people in compromising positions.”

Hurd said that he has trust in Mueller “to go over this with a fine-toothed comb, to determine whether there was indeed anything violating the law.”

But he expressed clear frustration with the Trump administration’s handling of the whole situation and their reticence to be forthright with the American people.

“I’d also like to get all these details out. Let’s stop hearing, you know, drips and drabs, because this takes away from — this is a distraction and it takes away from broader conversations we should be having. Like, how do we be prepared for the Russians to do this again?”

Hurd stated that Russia clearly tried to impact our election, and that they will certainly try to do it again — something the government needs to be ready and willing to confront.

The constant — and constantly morphing — lies about the Trump campaign’s dealings with Russia are finally starting to engulf them, as even members of the president’s own party are clearly getting fed up with the deceit and the willingness to put our democracy at risk.

And they may soon find those falsehoods harder to sustain, unless they are willing to lie to the Senate Judiciary Committee.