MEDIA WINNER: Jake Tapper
CNN’s Jake Tapper grilled Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) following the congressman's attempts to defend former President Donald Trump over the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search. Crenshaw joined Tapper on Sunday's State of the Union, where the CNN anchor asked the congressman if he was bothered by the fact that the FBI located top secret classified documents at Trump’s estate.
“I want to get to the truth,” Crenshaw answered, yet added, “It’s hard to justify what the Department of Justice did here, in my opinion.” "I still haven’t seen any evidence that Trump was even asked to give these documents back. He’s been cooperating with them on these issues for a while now," Crenshaw continued. "Why take it to this extreme extent?” While Tapper acknowledged the unknowns surrounding the search, he pointed out that the search warrant was executed under the watch of Trump-appointed FBI Director Christopher Wray.
As Crenshaw stood by his point that the search, while authorized, was still a “very unprecedented measure,” Tapper highlighted that the search also follows Trump’s dispute with the National Archives and Records Administration over his claim to the classified documents. “Why not just ask him [for the documents],” Crenshaw said, parroting Trump. “I thought they were negotiating and trying to get the information from him,” Tapper pushed back.
Tapper went on to point out that Trump did not turn over several boxes of materials, according to the Justice Department. Crenshaw continued to insist that Trump has been cooperating, prompting Tapper to note, “But his lawyers said we didn’t have any more classified information, and the Justice Department said ‘yes you do,’ and they went and got it.”
Tapper cornered Crenshaw into acknowledging the argument, with the congressman admitting it was a “huge mistake” for Trump’s lawyers to say they didn’t have anything left. |