Brian Karem: Trump 'A Mafia Boss Gone Mad' - Calls for Transparency 'Disingenuous'

On Thursday’s “CNN Newsroom,” CNN Political Analyst, Sentinel Newspapers Executive Editor, and Playboy White House reporter Brian Karem commented on the release of the House GOP Intel Committee memo by saying that the administration and Republicans on the committee are being “disingenuous” in their calls for transparency and that President Trump is “a mafia boss gone mad.” He also stated that the only thing he finds worse than the Republicans on the Intel Committee are the Democrats on the committee.

Karem said, “This is a tipping point for our democracy. Are we going to be a democracy after today, or is this going to be demagoguery and despotism? The simple fact of the matter is, he talks about transparency, and this is an administration that hasn’t had a solo press conference in a year. They haven’t had a press briefing in the last week and a half. They don’t talk to the press. We have to go on the South Lawn to try and get in touch with the president and shout questions at him. That’s disingenuous.”

He continued, “And by the way, if you’re going to be transparent, then you release the Democratic version of it as well. You release all of it, if you’re going to be transparent. This isn’t transparency. This is obfuscation. This is disingenuousness. This is simply, and nothing else, but a power play, a demagogue pushing back against the democratic process. And you’ve got the FBI — and you may say a lot of things about the FBI and I’ve covered them for 30 years — but corrupt? No. I’m sorry. They do their job and they do their job very well. And if the head of the FBI that you appointed is telling you not to do this, you don’t do it. But he doesn’t care. This is a mafia boss gone mad.”

Karem concluded that he wants to see “the whole thing” with regards to the memo, and stated of the Intelligence Committee, “[T]he only thing I found worse than Republicans in this matter are the Democrats. I mean, it’s like watching two houses on fire, and they’re throwing gasoline on each other.”

(h/t NewsBusters)

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett