A new report is out this morning suggesting that Donald Trump Jr. has no plans of showing up for questioning by the Senate Intelligence Committee:
AXIOS – A single senator criticizing a fellow senator of the same party, especially a committee chair, is rare enough, but six Republican senators criticized the decision by Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. about the Russia investigation.
What’s next: We’re told Don Jr. won’t show up. Options include daring the committee to hold him in contempt, taking the Fifth in writing, or (most likely) a compromise like answering written questions.
A Trump ally said: “We’re drawing battle lines: If you touch Don, we’ll come after you. … And our base will come after you.”
And Don Jr.’s camp knows the media will always cover a Republican civil war.
I know Don Jr. is certainly being advised not to show up by some Republicans, like Jim Jordan on Fox News this morning.
There has been some debate on this on Twitter this morning, notably between Hugh Hewitt and Jonah Goldberg:
I have zero problem with Burr’s subpoena and I see the freakout about it as a sign of weakness/panic on GOP’s part (Don’t care much either tho). But I love the line from Rand Paul making it sound like GOP senators should just do whatever Mitch tells them.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) May 10, 2019
We disagree strongly. @DonaldJTrumpJr is a private citizen who has been before Committee and SC for long hours. Both SC and Committee have said “No collusion.” Over is over, and I was one who always urged leaving SC Mueller alone. This is about civil liberties at this point. https://t.co/B9XmaLiYaK
— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) May 10, 2019
Not a “freak out” either, but extension of long-held views about government investigators developed because of abuses attendant to every special counsel/Independent Counse/high-profile Senate investigation back to Watergate and including Whitewater but especially Iran-Contra.
— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) May 10, 2019
It is the mark of these probes, both in Congress and in the prosecutors’ offices, that they hardly ever close up shop and just go away. Ask @AndrewCMcCarthy about this. The subpoena was issued weeks ago and should be cancelled. We know the end of the story: No collusion.
— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) May 10, 2019
That’s all fine Hugh. But if he lied under oath to the committee, which Burr has run judiciously, he should explain himself or be held to account. The civil liberties claim feels like a smokescreen and spin to me. He’s no martyr.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) May 10, 2019
A former Red State Never-Trump then jumped in…
So are private citizens allowed to lie in testimony to Congress, or is that a crime, no matter who does it?
The answer to that should temper everything you say on this matter, from here on out.
Better yet, say nothing.— Susan_Wright [Insufficiently Partisan] (@SweetieWalker) May 10, 2019
Of course not, and no responsible person has said differently. That’s a straw man argument. If Committee thinks there is perjury —and Special Counsel Mueller had all of @DonaldJTrumpJr testimony and did not so conclude— Senate Intel can refer to Justice. https://t.co/x4YrBKkG12
— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) May 10, 2019
So there’s the debate. What do you think?