Monday on CNN’s “New Day,” House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) reacted to a tweet from President Donald Trump the day before in which the president called him a “CORRUPT POLITICIAN” and said Schiff has not yet “paid the price” for his impeachment efforts.
Schiff first described the tweet as “organized crime speak” and questioned why others have not denounced it.
“I don’t think there’s really much doubt that he wants to at least give the suggestion the retribution should be of a kind other than at the ballot box,” Schiff stated. “This is, you know, the president’s organized crime speak. And that people would tolerate that or not condemn that in a president just shows how this president has brought down the stature of his office and debased the public discourse.”
Host Alisyn Camerota asked, “Just so I’m clear, you mean a threat to your personal safety?”
“I think it’s intended to be personally threatening,” Schiff replied. “I think that’s exactly what the president has in mind. And you know, the fact that he would even leave it ambiguous tells you that this is a president, who we know, has tried to intimidate witnesses and tried to discourage other people from coming forward, like the whistleblower. So sadly, this is you know, part and parcel of the kind of conduct we’ve seen from this president.”
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