The chair of the Senate Intel Committee, Richard Burr (R-NC), upset his own party several days ago by having a subpoena served on Donald Trump, Jr., as reported by Axios:
The Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee has subpoenaed Donald Trump Jr. to answer questions about his previous testimony before Senate investigators in relation to the Russia investigation, sources with direct knowledge told Axios.
Why it matters: It’s the first congressional subpoena — that we know about — of one of President Trump’s children. The subpoena sets up a fight that’s unprecedented in the Trump era: A Republican committee chair pit against the Republican president’s eldest son.
Facially, this is the sort of activity that I’d expect a mature legislator and chair of an Intel committee to undertake: pursue information concerning questions validly raised about the last Presidential election. As readers who are paying attention are aware, this is not something the Republican Party favors, as most of them, with a few exceptions, have circled the wagons around the President and his many scandals.
But is there something under the surface? I have no inside information concerning Burr or the committee, but I can imagine this is simply a head-feint by the Senator, trying to bring a shred of legitimacy to a Party which has notably lost such claims over the last ten years – or twenty, if one goes back to the beginning of the Bush Presidency. But what then to make of the advice of Senate Judiciary Chairperson Lindsey Graham (R-SC)?
The head of the Senate Judiciary Committee encouraged Donald Trump Jr. to invoke his right against self-incrimination and refuse to answer questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee if he complies with the panel’s subpoena for a second closed-door interview.
“You just show up and plead the Fifth and it’s over with,” Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) told reporters Monday, adding that Trump Jr.’s lawyer would “have to be an idiot” to let him testify again.
“This whole thing is nuts,” Graham continued. “To me, it’s over.”
Graham’s comments, which come just a day after he said on Fox News that Trump Jr. should ignore the summons, could serve as a temporary off-ramp in the standoff between the Intelligence Committee, led by Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and GOP senators either aligned with the president or up for reelection in 2020. It is also a remarkable display of one Republican Senate panel chairman undercutting another’s work by dispensing free legal advice to a witness in an ongoing investigation — and reflects a greater GOP divide about whether the Senate should hold Trump Jr. in contempt if he continues to flout the Intelligence Committee’s subpoena. [WaPo]
Frankly, speaking as a non-lawyer, this is the advice of an idiot. The moment Trump, Jr. “pleads the Fifth,” he’s signaling that, yes, some sort of scandal and corruption did occur, and it’s the responsibility of the committee to then continue the questioning and the investigation. Graham’s advice would work against Graham’s putative goal, which is to signal that the entire investigation into the Trump Campaign is over.
Of course, Senator Graham has been notable for his story arc in the Trump political era, from expressing loathing for candidate Trump, to becoming his apparent water-boy in the Senate, reportedly because his entire purpose is to get re-elected – and without a solid pro-Trump record, he might be in trouble. But his support has been nearly comedic in its expression, screaming threats at the House of Representatives of what he might do as the new chairman of the Judiciary Committee if they follow through on their plan to investigate the President (they did), ending with this rather ridiculous advice to Trump, Jr.
Is he overacting to get the crowd’s attention? Remember the lesson of Representative Roby (R-AL), who nearly lost her seat because of her disdain concerning Trump’s morals, despite having a near perfect record of legislative loyalty to Trump? I have to wonder if Graham decided it was safer if he acted like a lunatic than a sane human being. It doesn’t look good on his record, but it may guarantee him re-election next year.
But this advice to Trump, Jr., could be a subtle attack on the Trump family by Graham, giving bad advice under the smoke-screen of loyalty to the President. I don’t actually think Graham is this daring, but it’s not an impossible maneuver on his part.
Yep, Burr’s action in issuing the subpoena could lead to some unexpected drama in the coming days or weeks.
