Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), the top-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, argued Sunday that his House colleague Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) had just moments earlier accidentally given “the game away” by revealing President Donald Trump’s disregard for the legislative branch of government, and his method of weaponizing his own party's capitulation.
Jordan appeared on CNN Sunday and, when asked about the contradictions between Trump’s purported “America First” ideology and his unprecedented attack on and takeover of Venezuela on Saturday, repeatedly claimed that he trusted Trump’s judgement.
Himes, appearing on CNN with Dana Bash just moments after Jordan, zeroed in on one particular phrase Jordan uttered multiple times.
“I hope you can play that interview over and over again because he gave the game away. He said over and over again 'I trust the president' – he's being asked to explain an imperial adventure,” Himes said.
“An imperial adventure from the guy who was going to be America First and not get into stupid wars, and his answer is 'I trust the president.' That is giving the game away because two-thirds of my Republican colleagues in the Congress wake up every single morning and say 'what can I do today to prove my loyalty to the president,' and Jim Jordan appears to be unaware that our whole system is set up to provide checks and balances.”
An act of war requires approval for Congress, and even more, plans for major military operations, are traditionally communicated to who are known as the “Gang of Eight,” a bi-partisan group of congressional leaders. Neither was done prior to the Trump administration’s attack on Venezuela, and even more than 24 hours after the attack on Sunday, Himes – who’s a member of that Gang of Eight as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee – said he still hadn’t been briefed.
“Still haven't gotten a phone call! Well after the operation yesterday, a staffer at the office of the Secretary of Defense called the staff on the Intelligence Committee, but no,” Himes said.
“This is a long pattern and a particularly egregious example of a pattern of this administration not giving a hoot about the United States Congress, which by the way, Jim Jordan just sort of gave the game away. I hope you can play that interview over and over again because he gave the game away.”
Regarding Jordan’s remarks, Himes suggested that the lack of scrutiny from Jordan – the chair of the House Judiciary Committee – along with the lack of scrutiny from other Republican lawmakers, showed that they had effectively ceded their oversight role to Trump, who, in turn, has used that power to pursue controversial actions such as his administration’s attack on Venezuela.
“The job of a member of Congress is to approach the president with skepticism, with push back!” Himes continued. “So again, I hope you can play that video over and over again so America can see the fact that they no longer have a Congress.”
