Analysis: House Republicans Vote to Attack FBI From All Sides

‘Trump’s Grip on the Elected GOP Is Far Tighter Now’

House Republicans on the Intelligence Committee Monday evening voted to release a secret memo containing classified information and details of a current and ongoing investigation while also voting to block the release of a Democratic response. The memo, penned by Chairman Devin Nunes, who supposedly had recused himself from Russia investigations, reportedly is a direct attack on the FBI, and current and former FBI and Justice Dept. officials.

Democrats and the Justice Dept. oppose the release of the memo, while the Trump White House supports it.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) Monday evening summed up the actions House Republican just took: “All you need to understand is that the Republicans declared war today on our national security”

“The standard for the release of classified information,” House Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff said, is now, “if it’s good for the president, fine,” as The Daily Beast reports.

President Trump, in what has been called a law that has never before been used, can now take up to five days to decide whether or not to allow the report, including classified information, to be released.

The secret Nunes memo is not the GOP’s only attack on the intelligence community tonight.

Rep. Schiff “also revealed that the committee’s Republicans had formally opened an inquiry into the FBI and Justice Department—despite the panel having initially focused on Russia’s election interference and potential collusion with the Trump campaign,” The Daily Beast’s Spencer Ackerman adds. “Schiff said that work would continue and anticipated interviewing Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, on Wednesday.”

There’s no question but that this direct assault on the FBI is a response to the Mueller Russia investigation, and an attempt to discredit the Bureau before any possible negative reports on Trump are released.

“It has been amazing to see and undoubtedly true that as more and more has come to light about the extent of Russia’s involvement in 2016 and potential ties to Trump, elected Republicans have rallied towards the president rather than move away,” The Daily Beast’s Sam Stein said on Twitter. “Trump’s grip on the elected GOP is far tighter now than before we knew his top aides and son met with Russians, before he fired his FBI director to get out from under an investigation, before Flynn admitted he lied to the FBI, and before Manafort was charged by a special counsel,” he added.