Donald Trump on Friday issued a veiled threat to Republican House members who voted against a resolution to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Ca.).
The House on Wednesday by a 225-196 vote backed a Democratic-sponsored measure to kill the GOP-led effort to censure Schiff, with 20 Republicans joining the opposition.
The resolution to censure Schiff was sponsored by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who criticized the California Democrat for his role investigating the Trump administration.
The resolution claims that Schiff “exploited his positions on HPSCI (House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence) to encourage and excuse abusive intelligence investigations of Americans for political purposes,” and alleges he “used his position and access to sensitive information to instigate a fraudulently based investigation, which he then used to amass political gain and fundraising dollars.”
Schiff in a letter to colleagues obtained by CNN said he was targeted for “holding Donald Trump accountable.”
“As honored as I am to have earned their enmity, attempting to censure those who defend the Constitution against a corrupt president sets a dangerous precedent,” Schiff wrote.
Luna plans to sponsor a revised version of the resolution next week.
Trump lauded the controversial congresswoman for her persistence.
“Anna Paulina Luna is a STAR,” Trump said on his Truth Social website.
“She never gives up, especially in holding total lowlifes like Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff responsible for their lies, deceit, deception, and actually putting our Country at great risk, for which he should be imprisoned! He is a Leaker and a Scoundrel.”
The former president suggested that those who opposed the censure were potential political retribution targets.
“Any Republican voting against his CENSURE, or worse, should immediately be primaried,” Trump said. “There are plenty of great candidates out there!”
