Representative Mike Turner (R-OH), the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that he “vehemently” disagrees with former President Donald Trump calling “for the termination of all rules, regulations and articles, even those found in the Constitution” over the 2020 presidential election.
Partial transcript as follows:
MARGARET BRENNAN: This may seem a basic question, but all elected leaders swear to uphold the Constitution. Does calling for its suspension, is that disqualifying for a presidential candidate?
TURNER: It’s certainly not consistent–
BRENNAN: You know why I’m asking this question?
TURNER: I do. It’s certainly not consistent with the oath that we all take.
BRENNAN: So yesterday, the front runner for the Republican nomination, the standard bearer for your party, posted on Truth Social, and we know he lost the 2020 election, but continues to claim he did not. “A massive fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations and articles, even those found in the Constitution.” Should the standard bearer for the Republican Party, the front runner for the nomination for the presidency for your party in 2024, say this?
TURNER: Well, I you know, I, first of all, I vehemently disagree with- with the statement that Trump has made. Trump has made, you know, 1,000 statements in which I disagree. There is a political process that has to go forward before anybody–
BRENNAN: Constitutional conservatives are pretty clear about where they value the constitution–
TURNER: Exactly. There has to be–
[CROSSTALK]
TURNER: You do get picked questions, but I do get to pick my answer.
BRENNAN: I know. I’m trying to get you to answer the question I’m asking.
TURNER: There is a political process that has to go for before anybody’s a front runner or anybody is a- even the candidate for the party–
BRENNAN: Do you condemn him saying something like this?
TURNER: Absolutely. And I believe answering your question that people certainly are going to take into consideration a statement like this as they evaluate a candidate.
BRENNAN: I also have to ask you about the other statement and the people that he has been spending time with, a neo-Nazi, pro-Putin misogynist, named Nick Fuentes came to have dinner with the former president at his home alongside Kanye West who just this past week, praised Hitler.
TURNER: This is atrocious. This is- everybody I think- everyone both condemns and is shocked and is as disgusted and nauseated by the fact that we’re even in this year, in 2022, having anyone that would make statements like that, nevertheless, have anybody who would engage in a conversation with someone who’s having- making statements like that.
BRENNAN: So having classified documents at the same place where they’re having the dinner–
TURNER: Well that’s- that’s not–
BRENNAN: –which we’re not necessarily securely held, and they’re government records that should be in government property, all those things together, it’s a problem.
TURNER: Well, as you know, the FBI raided his home, and I suppose there are not classified documents there. But all of these are issues of judgment.
BRENNAN: The president is saying he doesn’t know who he’s having dinner with at that home.
TURNER: These are all issues of judgment and a political process has to go forward. And I believe voters are smart, and they’ll take those things into consideration in a political process.
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