House Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Wednesday joined the hosts of The View to discuss “the insanity” that unfolded Thursday when committee chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) revealed he went directly to the White House with new information about “incidental” surveillance on Donald Trump.
Co-host Whoopi Goldberg asked Schiff if members of the intel committee felt “blindsided” by Nunes’ decision to tell the president before revealing the information to fellow members of the committee.
Schiff acknowledge he felt “mystified” by the move, telling Goldberg, “to have our chairman take evidence that he received perhaps in the dead of night and not bring it to the committee … and bring it to the White House when it’s associates of this President who are under investigation was just a complete head-scratcher.”
Schiff also said Nunes’ refusal Thursday to rule out the White House as the source of his information makes the situation “more and more mystifying.”
“We really do need an independent commission—completely separate and apart from Congress—that can conduct this at the same time,” Schiff added.
Joy Behar asked Schiff what Nunes’ “motivation” was in relaying the information to Trump, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and the press prior to informing his fellow committee members.
“I really don’t know,” Schiff said. “You’d have to ask him that. I’d have to imagine he’s having difficulty separating his role as a surrogate for the administration with his role as a committee chairman.”
“He’s ultimately going to have to make that decision,” Schiff said. “He can’t do both of these roles.”
Sara Hines pressed the ranking member over whether Nunes should continue to head the committee given his decision Wednesday.
“Do you think it was ever appropriate that a former Trump transition team member was heading up this investigation in the first place and do you think the chairman should now be removed from his role on the committee?” Hines asked.
Watch the interview below, via ABC:
