Trump’s GOP Defenders Got Destroyed On The Sunday Shows
White House Adviser Stephen Miller, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Jim Jordan (R-OH) – (Source: Gage Skidmore)
President Trump is running a familiar playbook. After the White House released the memo of President Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Zelensky and the whistleblower complaint was made public, Trump has been scrambling. There is no honest way to defend the President of the United States illegally extorting a foreign power to investigate a political rival and then trying to cover up the effort. Now in a state of desperation amid House Democrats’ impeachment probe, President Trump and his sycophants have launched yet another disinformation campaign. It isn’t working.
President Trump and the Republican Party’s strategy is to lie about the memo that the White House released in the hopes their voters won’t read it. That tactic worked with the 448-page Mueller report, but that won’t work with a 5-page memo. They are also trying to defame the whistleblower and claim that their allegations are all hearsay. This runs contrary to the fact the White House corroborated part of the complaint, the memo itself matches the complaint, and Trump himself has admitted the core allegation.
After they distort the contents of President Trump’s phone call, Trump’s defenders then perform a clumsy deflection by making widely debunked allegations against Joe and Hunter Biden. If the Sunday shows and recent polling are any indication, these tactics are crashing and burning.
We’re building a community and want you to be part of it.
First up, we have Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who claimed that he has no problem with President Trump’s effort to solicit foreign interference in the 2020 election.
Rep. Jim Jordan on President Trump’s Ukraine call and the impeachment inquiry: “I don’t have any problem with the call. … I respectfully disagree with my colleagues who think there needs to be a further inquiry here” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/qfcMpJcCJA
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 29, 2019
CNN’s Jake Tapper wasted no time in putting the allegations Jordan was making against Joe Biden to rest, while reminding Jordan of allegations he himself faces.
Jake Tapper calls out Rep. Jim Jordan over his baseless Hunter Biden accusations: “It’s facts and I would think that somebody who’s been accused of things in that last year or two would be more sensitive about throwing out wild allegations against people.” pic.twitter.com/HkqSVGwZey
— Blake Jones (@BlakeThought) September 29, 2019
This is what Jake Tapper is talking about btw:
At least eight ex-OSU wrestlers came forward—including UFC fighter Mark Coleman—alleging that then-Assistant Coach Jordan ignored allegations that doctor Richard Strauss was sexually abusing wrestlers.https://t.co/SHaAmr0qQq
— Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) September 29, 2019
Then, we have White House Senior Adviser, and anti-immigrant bigot, Stephen Miller. Fox News’ Chris Wallace called out his lack of answers.
“You have your non-answer" — watch Chris Wallace grill Stephen Miller about why Trump thought it was appropriate to use his private attorney to dig up dirt on Biden — and not let Miller get away with obfuscating. pic.twitter.com/wKr1fpIX5Z
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 29, 2019
WALLACE: How specifically did the Bidens break the law in Ukraine?
STEPHEN MILLER: [dissembles, can’t cite a singe reason] pic.twitter.com/KKaU1F1yO9
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 29, 2019
Next, we have Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC), whose stunning shift from Senator McCain’s best friend to chief Trump Senate sycophant has stunned the nation. As usual, Graham was shameless in his defenses of President Trump.
LINDSEY GRAHAM: The whistleblower complaint is just hearsay.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But the whistleblower complaint is matched by the call record in numerous ways.
GRAHAM: Well, you’ve got an opinion, I’ve got an opinion. pic.twitter.com/2L5sweS64L
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 29, 2019
Finally, we have House Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA).
Looking to make a difference? Consider signing one of these petitions:WATCH: When asked if he thinks it was “appropriate” for Trump to ask a foreign leader to investigate Biden, Rep. Scalise responds with unfounded allegations implying corruption #IfItsSunday@chucktodd: “Congressman you know the truth behind that.” pic.twitter.com/Jxo4YACUr0
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 29, 2019
If those clips weren’t enough to prove this strategy isn’t working, polling backs that up. As we’ve seen with multiple polls last week, and a new one this weekend, support for an impeachment inquiry into Trump is rising.
55% of Americans support the impeachment inquiry into Trump.
49% of Independents support the impeachment inquiry.
23% (!) of Republicans support the impeachment inquiry.
We’ve crossed a bridge here.
This is huge. https://t.co/1GjwDVm7dP
— Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) September 29, 2019
Telling the American people not to believe their eyes and ears is not a sustainable strategy. If President Trump and his defenders want to stop public opinion from shifting away from them, they’ll have to stop treating the American people as if they are stupid. It would also help if they stopped committing crimes.
Rantt Media is independently-owned and completely ad-free. If you like the work we do, sign up for our daily newsletter and join our community newsroom where you can talk news with our team and other like-minded individuals:
We’re building a community and want you to be part of it.
