Both sides confirm Trump's latest attempt to shut down investigation failed

Trump abused his power to try and advance his bogus “spygate” conspiracy theory, but only wound up having holes blown through it by both parties.

The Department of Justice held a pair of classified briefings Thursday in response to Trump’s demand for an investigation into alleged “spying” on his presidential campaign.

But Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) both came out of that meeting with bad news for Trump.

In an interview with NPR, McConnell said that nothing in the briefing had changed his mind.

“The two investigations going on that I think will give us the answers to the questions that you raise — the IG [Inspector General] investigation in the Justice Department and the Mueller investigation,” McConnell said. “I support both of them, and I don’t really have anything to add to this subject based upon the Gang of 8 briefing that we had today, which was classified.”

Schiff also said that the briefing offered nothing to change the direction of the investigations.

“Nothing we heard today has changed our view that there is no evidence to support any allegation that the FBI or any intelligence agency placed a ‘spy’ in the Trump Campaign, or otherwise failed to follow appropriate procedures and protocols,” Schiff told reporters following the afternoon Gang of 8 meeting.

Schiff also attended an earlier briefing, to which only Republican Reps. Devin Nunes Trey Gowdy and Speaker Paul Ryan were initially invited. Trump’s personal lawyer attended the beginning of both meetings, but left before the classified portions began, according to the White House.

Since the briefings were classified, it’s difficult to say whether Republicans learned of any evidence that could be useful to Trump and his legal team. But Trump’s maneuver definitely failed at discrediting the investigation that he is desperate to end.