President Donald Trump knew beforehand and “backed” the 30 or so Republicans led by extremist Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) who Wednesday afternoon stormed the secure room where Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper was about to deliver testimony as part of the House impeachment inquiry.
“Trump had advance knowledge and supported a protest by Republicans who told him they planned to barge into a secure hearing room on Capitol Hill where Democrats are holding impeachment testimonies, according to four people familiar with the matter,” Bloomberg News reports.
“Trump on Tuesday met with about 30 House Republicans at the White House to talk about the situation in Syria and the impeachment inquiry. During a nearly two-hour meeting, which focused mostly on the impeachment inquiry, lawmakers shared their plans to storm into the secure room, the people said. Trump supported the action, saying he wanted the transcripts released because they will exonerate him, the people said.”
Experts say the Republicans’ actions, including bringing cell phones into the Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), endangered national security.
This is a breaking news and developing story. Details may change. This story will be updated, and NCRM will likely publish follow-up stories on this news. Stay tuned and refresh for updates.