Congress, Media, Politics, Society

Schiff “Must Be Stopped”: Trump Attacks Schiff As “Liar” and “Leaker”

donald_trump_president-elect_portrait_cropped440px-Adam_Schiff_115th_official_photoI have previously criticized the President for his use of Twitter to attack those conducting the Russian investigation and various critics.  Many of these tweets are in my view clearly inappropriate and distinctly unhelpful to his legal team.  Indeed, today the Hill posted a column where I criticize James Comey for adopting the same use of social media in lashing out at critics.  Now, Trump is attacking Ranking Member Adam Schiff as a “liar and leaker.”  I have recently criticized Schiff for his claims about the highly classified content of the recently released four-page memo.  However, these attacks on social media — and name calling — only serve to undermine the President in this controversy.  Presidents have long strived to maintain a dignified and deliberative position in addressing opposing allegations or critics.  These attacks have not worked well for the President  and fuel allegations that he is defensive and alarmed by these investigations.  For those of us who have questioned the evidence of criminal conduct, the attacks are curious since they fit a narrative put forward by the President’s critics.  I served as lead defense counsel in the impeachment of Judge Thomas Porteous — the last impeachment trial heard by the Senate. My opposing lead counsel was Rep. Adam Schiff, who I found to be a remarkably competent prosecutor and able opponent.

In his latest attack, Trump stated:

 3h3 hours ago

More

Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, right up there with Comey, Warner, Brennan and Clapper! Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!

 The calling to “stop” Schiff is disconcerting since the President has reportedly discussed firing Special Counsel Mueller and even seeking his prosecution as well as reports of wanting to fire Attorney General Jeff Session and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. The statement could be viewed as encouraging the termination of the congressional investigation as Trump has called for the end of the Special Counsel investigation. None of that is helpful to the President’s legal team.

What do you think?

243 thoughts on “Schiff “Must Be Stopped”: Trump Attacks Schiff As “Liar” and “Leaker””

  2. Trump’s lawyers now don’t want him to testify to Mueller team.. They are worried about a perjury trap.

    Perjury trap = Trump opens his trap and lies.

  3. Sooo, ALL the Republicans voted to release the Democratic Response Memo, while none of the Democrats voted to release the Nunes Memo.

    What does that tell you about who is playing politics! About who has something to hide, and about who is being deceptive and lying to the public? And gee whiz, not one Republican is playing Schiff game.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-02-05/house-intel-committee-votes-release-democratic-response-nunes-memo

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

    1. The GOP’s PR game on these memos is perfectly transparent. Can’t believe you are falling for it!! Actually, yes I can. It’s perfectly tailored to the cult.

      1. Kats:
        Right you are. Why if Nunes cured cancer you’d explain that he did so purely to put doctors out of work. Cultist heal yourself!

      2. I’ll bite! Why don’t you explain the GOP’s game to me! And don’t just say that it’s to derail Muellar. That’s just a DNC talking point. I want you to use your own words and explain it to me. Explain why we shouldn’t be concerned when a political candidate, of the same party that holds the White House, pays for phony smear info and gets the FBI to issue FISA warrants against the other candidate. Explain to me why we should not be concerned when that same FBI, and pretty much the same exact operatives, find that candidate, who belongs to the same party that holds the White House, innocent of criminal charge for running her email server off the government, and finds that BEFORE doing the investigation.

        Explain that kind of stuff to me, kats. OK. In your own words. In detail.

        And I am betting that you won’t.

        Squeeky Fromm
        Girl Reporter

      1. kats…..their recommendation for a 2nd Special Counsel has been widely reported…ABC, NBC, AXIOUS, and the L.A.TIMES.
        And these are just the other sources that I’ve seen and /or read about the Trump attorneys/ special counsel recommendation.

  5. Since when does the POTUS’ use derogatory nicknames in his daily communications? It’s stunning to witness such immaturity.

    2. He does it to give a hearty all American laugh to the farmers, and the factory workers, and veterans, and first responders, and military, and even a few law firms around the country. It works, every single time.
      It is intended to make sensitive sissies clutch their pearls. It works, every single time.

    3. Since Jan. 20, 2017. And it isn’t as if voters had “no idea” of Trump’s willingness to insult his political opponents and others.
      That trait was on full display for c.18 months by Candidate Trump, and for c. 35 years before that by businessman and promoter Trump.

  7. Niko House – indie – non Fox – posted especially for those who insist we all get our newz there

  8. wow – a whole year ago and nothing has changed Russia Russia Russia – Schiff insisted Carlson was carrying water for Putin

  9. Presidents have long strived to maintain a dignified and deliberative position in addressing opposing allegations or critics.

    The previous 44 Presidents strived to maintain all sorts of things including an air of dignity. Have we been better served with that type of President? Massive debt, endless conflicts (wars), crumbling infrastructure, dependency culture, social divide, and so on; if a dignified and deliberative President is what we are supposed to have, then perhaps we’ve been focused on the wrong things.

    1. Olly: ” Massive debt, endless conflicts (wars), crumbling infrastructure, dependency culture, social divide, and so on; if a dignified and deliberative President is what we are supposed to have, then perhaps we’ve been focused on the wrong things.”
      Brutally true.

    2. Ok, so now we have “Massive debt, endless conflicts (wars), crumbling infrastructure, dependency culture, social divide, and so on” but with an incompetent President who doesn’t know or care about our tripartite system of government; what’s in the Constitution; American history; common decency; The importance of speaking the truth; the need for American leadership in the world; intellectual curiosity; or even reading any document longer that a hamburger wrapper? This is good?

      this is to “trumps a retard, but he’s our retard” olly

      1. Great comment, except that everything you claimed about Trump is untrue.

        this is to “I’m a retard” Mark M.

  10. Schiff, Comey and all the anti-Trump people supporting the Mueller investigation are traitors.

    Trump is speaking the truth. Maybe not what is what we want to hear from a politician but we are on verge of a Civil War. I hope you dont laugh at that because Im dead serious and if you cant see it take your head out of your azz.

    1. “Civil War.” Make me puke. Not one of you keyboard warriors will so much as say a single word to someone in real life. I understand you live and breath in an echo silo, so you’re uncomprehending alternative universe prohibits you from recognizing what a crew of wackjob wingnuts real people consider you to be. But by all means, keep prattling on about “Deep State” voodoo; SOCIALISTS (!); “DNC”; “HRC”; or whatever other paranoid conspiracy garbage your “friends” at Pravda Faux News are swilling out to you today. So, hoard some silver, order some MRE’s, and buy another set of cammo underwear. You and your loony-kook kind will remain here where you don’t bother real people, because that’s just all that a keyboard warrior will ever do.

      this is to “I’ve seen Rambo like, a hunerd times” mousie

      1. marky mark, hope you don’t mind my jumping in… Just wanted to say I truly enjoyed your rant!! Thanks for a hearty laugh. I hope you’ll post another one soon (seriously). Humor is so healing.

  11. Even The Donald does not know what is “on his mind”. Does he even have one?

      1. He meant “very stable genus”. Yes, genus Homo has been around for a long time. His species, simplicus, not so.

  12. What do I think? On a daily basis Trump brings this country to one new low after another with his petty name-calling, attacks on the heads of various agencies, attacks on members of Congress, attempts to stop investigations into his criminal activities, demanding loyalty pledges, his bragging about sexually assaulting women, his conduct with porn stars, and, today, attacking Great Britain’s health system, constant lying about everything….the list goes on.

    That’s what you get when an unpatriotic egomaniac wants to be President just for the perceived glory and power, and who gets to the job by colluding with a hostile foreign power. My only question is: how low will this country sink before the Republicans do the right thing? Does the stock market have to take a major hit first?

    1. By “the right thing”, do you mean impeachment?
      At this stage, I think the Republicans are almost as opposed to push for impeachment as the Democrats are.

    3. “What do I think?”, you said. I was not aware that you think at all. You seem to just make raw assertions and repeat the silliness you hear from DNC talking points. Frankly, I would be delighted if you “thought”!

      Squeeky Fromm
      Girl Reporter

  13. “Presidents have long strived to maintain a dignified and deliberative position”
    Ha ! Not this one, not for a second.

  14. The entire Republican party are complicit in the incompetence of Trump. The post-factual, post ethical, believer of Trump’s politics own what he has sowed. And while the water is now chest deep, tell yourself that the ship is not sinking, the ship is not sinking.

      1. On election night, there were plenty of Hillary supporters telling themselves “the ship is not sinking” as the results were coming in.

        1. Hillary’s battle cry as her ship was sinking: “Why am I not 50 points ahead!?”

          Trump’s battle cry: Don’t Give Up The Ship! We’re going to win this thing.

          Hillary’s not so gracious concession: It was the Russians! Red Scare! Red Scare!

    2. If Trump is the GOP candidate in 2020 and Hillary somehow gets the nomination again, would “the entire Democratic Party” be complicit in a 2nd “post-ethical, post factual” Trump term?

      1. What world do you live in? If you keep walking as far as you can see, do you fall off?

        1. FishFins,..
          A non-aquatic world.
          If you swim the wrong way, do you beach yourself?

    3. The GOP ship has no moral compass. Self-admiring John McCain, “maverick” only in his own eyes, is one example of what substitutes for a conscience in the Republican Party.

      1. The Junior Senator from Arizona is carving out a niche for himself as the GOP’s “moral compass”.
        Maybe he’ll bring people like you on board.
        Bringing around people like PCS will be a harder sell.

        1. Tom Nash – since neither McCain nor Flake supported or voted for Trump, it is hard for them to take the moral high ground. Flake could not raise the money for his primary so he had to drop out. The people of Arizona HATE him. He is going to have to move out of state.

          1. Paul,…
            Flake seems to have additional political aspirations, and I think he’s calculating whether he’ll find support nationally that he doesn’t have with his constituents.
            After “Conscience of a Conservative”, maybe he’ll publish a re-do of “Profiles on Courage”.
            There’d probably be nine Senators mentioned in his version, after he adds one more to JFK’s profiles of the eight senators.

  15. OK, here is a joke I made up a few minutes ago. Which is typical of Democratic Party responses to every thing:

    Conservative: Hey, Liberal, can you tell me how illegal immigration and cheap labor helps America’s poor people, particularly Black Americans???

    Liberal Democrat: Fish.

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

  17. Corrupt Mueller Investigation – Corrupt DOJ/FBI

    Deputy Associate Attorney General Bruce Ohr.

    Employee of Fusion GPS Mrs. Bruce Ohr.
    ________________________________

    “Under a contract from the Clinton campaign, the Fusion GPS research firm was paying the wife of a senior Department of Justice official as part of its efforts to gather opposition research on Trump, and the same official then brought that research to the FBI.

    Knowledge of the relationship has raised questions about the extent to which the firm may have paid for heightened access to the criminal justice system, and whether they would have hired Nellie Ohr absent her spousal connection to the DoJ.

    A declassified memo said Bruce “Ohr’s wife was employed by Fusion GPS to assist in the cultivation of opposition research on Trump. Ohr later provided the FBI with all of his wife’s opposition research, paid for by the DNC and Clinton campaign via Fusion GPS. The Ohrs’ relationship with Steele and Fusion GPS was inexplicably concealed from the” court when it was used to obtain a surveillance warrant.

    Bruce Ohr was deputy associate attorney general until December. House investigators determined that he met personally with Glenn Simpson, Fusion GPS’ founder.

    The FBI has limited resources to deal with a firehose of information, so people seeking the FBI’s attention could potentially benefit from greasing the wheels in order to get info to the front of the queue and to a high level.

    “The money sweetened the pot for the Ohrs, and it certainly made it easier for Fusion to get the dossier to be used before the court if they made that payment to Bruce Ohr’s wife,” former judge and Texas GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert told The Daily Caller News Foundation,

    “Fusion had to have known that because of the relationship between Bruce Ohr and his wife, they were bringing Fusion, the DOJ and the DNC together under one roof to work for the same goal, which was to stop Donald Trump from becoming president,” he said.

    Ohr’s wife, Nellie, is a Russia expert, but it is not known what her specific contribution to the dossier was.

    “The financial arrangement between Mrs. Ohr and Fusion GPS gives the appearance of government-for-hire,” said Tom Anderson, an ethics expert at the conservative-leaning watchdog group the National Legal and Policy Center. It “appears to be a sophisticated scheme to get access to the highest levels of our government … ensuring the use of government resources in an attempt to influence an election.”

    1. Let me guess- Tom Anderson couldn’t find any suggestion of Russian interference. He has selective vision which blocked from his review – Recode’s article showing the activity of the Russian troll and bot farm, Carter Page, George Popaudopolis, Gen. Flynn, Maria Buttina, Facebook’s acknowledged source of Russian revenue, the Trump Tower meeting, the Wikileaks data dump isolated to Democratic Party info, Julian Assange calling a Hannity imposter volunteering damaging info. on Mark Warner, the two Mueller indictments…

    2. Black helicopter alert. Oh, and there’s a tinfoil sale down to the Piggly Wiggly.

      this is to “the fibbies are well-known commie-symps” georgie – paulie

  18. With Trump for better or worse you always know what’s on his mind. Pence OTOH is inscrutable. It’s the quiet ones we should watch closer…. Deep State seems to prefer him

    “Both by coincidence and design, Pence has managed to skirt some of the biggest controversies of the Trump administration. And he’s got a full schedule of political and international travel for the rest of 2018 that could help keep him at arm’s length from domestic troubles.

    Pence has maintained an almost Teflon-like quality in the Russia probe that has cast a long shadow over Trump’s White House.

    Investigators on the House Intelligence Committee have pored over thousands of emails from the Trump transition team but can’t find Pence’s name in any of them, even though he led the transition, said a Democrat familiar with the House’s Russia probe. The Democrat was not authorized to detail private documents and spoke on condition of anonymity.”

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/pences-approach-troubles-white-house-wasnt-053657378.html

        2. Da Koch’s are still gettin richer so da signal Ryan is still don’t proceed. Should da markets keep slidin who knows.

          1. RE: Ken

            “Persona – The Mask We Wear”

            “Carl Jung said that, ‘The persona is that which in reality one is not, but which oneself as well as others think one is.” Robert Johnson refers to the persona as our “psychological clothing.” The persona refers to that aspect of the ego that we present to the world for its approval. It is like a mask and we can hide behind it.

            The word “persona” comes from the Greek word for the large masks that early Greek actors would use to portray their characters. With audiences in the big Greek amphitheater the nuances of performances could easily be lost. The primary function of the mask was not to hide the actor but give information about the character. The persona is the mask or role that a person plays in society. While it gives information it can be used to hide the ego.

            As a social role the concept of the persona is useful in allowing an individual to move in and out of relationships without being too vulnerable. A persona can be the oil to ease potential social friction. A persona provides for some predictability of relationship. For example, the personas of doctor and patient or of student and teacher can be useful in knowing what to do, when, and where. Other examples of the persona are: mother, father, husband, wife, lawyer, judge, policeman, baker. A persona becomes a problem only when a person becomes too attached to it and can not put it aside. For example, when someone who is a judge is a “judge” all the time at work and at home. Or perhaps, a teacher who is in her role all the time. When a person cannot move flexibly between roles then the persona not only hides the person from others but also from himself. It is difficult for such a person to have appropriate self-knowledge.

            An overemphasis on the persona not only blocks avenues of communication between people but also between the ego and the darker aspects of the personality that need to be acknowledged. These darker aspects are represented by the shadow.”
            _________________________________

            I’m thinking something more along the lines of schizophrenia and deep psychosis.

            1. Man you are solike A KGB agent, Georgie. Claim your political opponents are mentally ill and then throw them in a prison and lobotomize them. Scary little dude or dudette you are.

              1. If there were American conservatives and libertarians commenting at this blog regularly, they would make the points that the conservative newspaper columnists make. For example, they would challenge the dominance of the wealthy on the U.S. political scene. They would point out the illogic of the Kochtopus’ calls for limited government while spending so much to control state and local government via ALEC, State Budget Solutions, State Policy Network and American City and County Exchange.
                The Russian trolls never criticize the Koch’s nor the other right wing 0.1 er’s, not even in an attempt to use them as a wedge for destabilization. The explanation may be obvious. The donor class Republicans are behind the protection of Russia in the House, Senate and Mueller investigations.

          2. The donor class expects Trump to continue undermining the institutions that are the foundation of American security, unity and democracy. The founder of the Heritage Foundation (funded by the Koch’s) detailed the plan (Paul Weyrich’s teaching manual). Pence may not be prime time ready to pick up the mantle from Trump.

            1. I know that Linda is not programmed to answer questions.
              But she talks of “the donor class Republicans”, and what they support.
              Assuming that Linda thinks she knows the answer to that, the question still remains about what “the Democratic donor class supports.

              1. The Democratic donor class steered the party to make it similar to the GOP and lost 1000 sears, including governorships, the Presidency, the state and federal Houses and Senates. When tech titans, corporations and Wall Street (e.g. Center for American Progress) started funding the Dems, it was hedging their bets. When they went to the polls, they voted Repub.
                The New America think tank proves they are privatizers of common goods, just like the Russian oligarchs.

                1. The fact that a think tank has a theory that one finds convincing does not constitutue “proof”.
                  The same is true for academic papers on evonomics, where the word “proof” was loosely used before.
                  It would be interesting to see what the New America thinl tank says about monopolies; one member of that think tank was fired for criticizing Google as a monopoly.
                  Since Google funds NA think tank,it’s not surprizing that they’d want to remain a ” privateer of common goods”.

                  1. “New America, a Google-funded think tank, faces backlash for fireing a Google critic”.- New York Times, Sept. 1, 2017

                    1. The firings are a portion of the proof to which I referred.
                      Providing an illustration- if it is posited that a person is Russian and, the person states he is indeed Russian, the latter qualifies as an element of proof. But, I understand that the GOP’s claim that there are alternative facts, feeds narratives created for political purposes. One example would be poisonings, gun shot wounds, etc. subsequently labeled, natural causes.

                    2. The “proof” that you cited was from the New America, as if their word was golden.
                      Now, when it’s shown that New America is a questionable source, especially for “proof”, you ckaim that was your point all along.
                      If one claim doesn’t work,for,you, you just soeak out of the other side of your mouth and make another ridiculous claim.

                    3. Tom Nash,
                      You are confused. Reading New America’s papers, like those on education, leads to the conclusion that the brothel is eager to be intellectual prostitutes for the rich.
                      In the context of my comment, I referred to N.A.’s papers as “proof” that, while they craft an image as being on the political left, they push the agenda of the richest 0.1%.

    2. T rump is keeping his secret wars secret so no we don’t. Keepin his finances secret true. Fake transparency.

  19. There has never been a liar of the magnitude of Trump. Trump lies to set the mood, chaos. Out of Trump’s mouth come lies that are not even necessary. That is his strategy, to set the mood. This way he is never really there. What he says might be the truth, close to the truth, far from the truth, or simply a complete lie, 2000 + and counting in his first year. This is a great strategy for one on one negotiations in business. This is not a strategy of a President, not Presidential, not that of a representative of the people, only that of a self centered, narcissistic, megalomaniac. However, it seems to be working when one reads his defenders on this blog and for a good laugh of Fox News and the Washington Times. Somehow this is getting to be like time ticking away; lie after lie after lie; with the most repeated versions being attacks on others. Unfortunately Trump can say anything to pander to the dupes that put him in office and they seem to lap it up. Trump has evolved from funny and disgusting to disgusting and shameful.

    1. Trump wouldn’t have the traction he has without McConnell, Paul Ryan and 99.9% of the GOP politicians.

      1. Incorrect. “Trump wouldn’t have the traction he has without” Hillary Clinton.
        “Linda’s” programmer forgot to include that little detail.

        1. TN re “Trump wouldn’t have the traction he has without” Hillary Clinton”

          The Dim cult members always overlook this pesky truth. Also they don’t understand that there are plenty of RINOs who hate Trump

            1. OH, let me guess who told you that, No, No, don’t tell me…..Sean, Alex, Rush…..No, No, don’t tell……FOX?

  20. The president is terrified of this investigation. He is the only one in the world who knows exactly what he has done, with whom, and for how long. Watching his behavior, including his very informative tweets, reminds me of Poe’s The Telltale Heart.

    And to think that Trump brought most of this upon himself. If he hadn’t fired Comey, then confessed on live TV that he fired him to stop the investigation, there’d be no special prosecutor.

    And Nunes is dumb as a post.

    Not very bright guys and things got out of hand.

      2. Incorrect. “Linda’s” programmer forgot that people can check on the $1.2 Billion Hillary campaign budget funded by the “donor class”.
        Trump’s campaign spending was about half of Clinton’s.
        People can check to see how much Goldman Sachs, and Wall Street overall, contributed to Hillary v. their contributions to Trump.

        1. TN – and Soros plus Brockman via “Correct the Record” bots (many of whom seemed to still be around and posting on this blog)

          1. Most of the Democrat’s richest 0.1%, were hedging their bets when they funded the Dem.Party (excluding Hollywood). They (Center for American Progress, Bloomberg and tech tyrants) delivered the party’s loss of 1000 seats in less than 10 years.

    2. And McCabe has been removed and fired with further prosecution of DOJ/FBI personnel pending.

      Rosenstein, Mueller et al. knew – malice or incompetence – your choice.

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