Feinstein: Senate building obstruction case against Trump

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, told NBC’s Chuck Todd on Sunday that the Senate was putting together an obstruction of justice case against President Donald Trump.

‘As you know, I’m ranking on Judiciary and the Judiciary Committee has an investigation going as well and it involves obstruction of justice,’ she noted. ‘And, I think, what we’re beginning to see is the putting together of a case of obstruction of justice.’ 

The contents of the indictments and statements made by the White House show signs of obstruction of justice, Feinstein suggested. 

‘I see it in the hyper-frenetic attitude of the White House, the comments every day, the continual tweets,’ she said. ‘And I see it, most importantly, in what happened with the firing of Director Comey and it is my belief that that is directly because he did not agree to lift the cloud of the Russia investigation.’ 

Comey was fired by President Trump in early May.  

‘That’s obstruction of justice,’ the top Judiciary Committee Democrat said.  

Sen. Dianne Feinstein suggested the Senate was putting together an obstruction of justice case against President Trump 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (left), who is the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee and also a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, talked about the Capitol Hill probes with NBC's Chuck Todd (right) on Meet the Press 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (left), who is the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee and also a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, talked about the Capitol Hill probes with NBC’s Chuck Todd (right) on Meet the Press 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (left) told Meet the Press host Chuck Todd (right) that she hit an 'enough is enough' point with President Trump last month, though wouldn't openly call for impeachment 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (left) told Meet the Press host Chuck Todd (right) that she hit an ‘enough is enough’ point with President Trump last month, though wouldn’t openly call for impeachment 

 President Trump has continually stated that he’s not the individual who is under investigation, Todd reminded the senator, asking her if she thought Trump was.  

‘Well, I would assume that many in the White House are under investigation in this,’ Feinstein said. 

She added that she did not believe that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty of lying to the FBI on Friday, was a ‘rogue agent.’ 

Flynn’s plea was over conversations that he had with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak during the transition. 

Conversations he initially didn’t tell authorities about.  

‘I don’t believe that on his own conclusion, he would go out and try to tell the Russians in two instances, once to stop a national security resolution going through the United Nations regarding Israel, and on the sanctions that President Obama had just put in, urge that they not be tampered with by the transition committee,’ Feinstein said. 

‘I think he had to have been directed,’ she noted. ‘Now whether the special counsel can find that evidence or not, whether we can, I don’t know yet. But I see that that’s where this is going.’ 

Feinstein said that Flynn cooperating with Mueller’s investigation doesn’t necessarily slow down the probe the Senate Intelligence Committee, which she also sits on, is pursuing. 

‘I think the investigation that really has the clout is Bob Mueller’s investigation,’ she noted. ‘He’s got all the tools he needs, investigative and legal, to do what he needs to do. And I think what we’re seeing is some of the fallout from that.’ 

She suggested that witnesses are becoming more forthcoming to the Congressional committees probing Russia, because of Mueller’s investigation. 

 ‘For example, Jared Kushner,’ she said. 

Feinstein said she and Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, had sent Trump’s son-in-law and top White House adviser a letter asking for information.

‘He has agreed to give it,’ Feinstein said. ‘I think that’s very important … I think there’s no question, but that he is a principal in this.’ 

She paused saying the doesn’t make ‘allegations.’ 

‘But I think his testimony would be very important,’ Feinstein said of Kushner.  

Todd also pressed Feinstein on impeachment, as Democratic super-donor Tom Steyer, who’s also a Californian, has been running pro-impeachment advertisements on TV. 

Feinstein said she had to be cautious because of her role on the Judiciary Committee, which is investigating some of the Russia stuff, but that she was losing patience with this president. 

‘Now, I’m not without the powers of observation, or seeing what’s going on around me,’ Feinstein noted.  

‘The concern rises with the day,’ she said. 

Todd interrupted and asked if she meant a concern over the president’s ability to do his job. 

‘Oh yes, oh yes,’ she answered. ‘I’ve been here for 25 years now, there is a kind of instability, unpredictability. It’s one issue after the other. We’ve got major problems in the world with our allies now, in the Middle East, with North Korea. It goes on and on.’  

‘And I think that this president is just precipitating more and more angst that’s going on to lead to serious discord,’ she added. 

Todd asked when the longtime senator hits her ‘enough is enough’ moment.

Feinstein confessed that had already passed.   

‘Well, it happened about a month ago, and I can’t give you any particular event,’ she said. ‘But it happens – you know, those of us that are here – understand how the White House functions.’ 

‘And, as you begin to see, one day it’s one story, the next day it’s another story, the third day it’s another story, it’s very concerning to get at the truth,’ she said.  

Todd tried taking it a step further, asking the senator, ‘Do you believe it’s time to think about getting him out of office?’ 

Feinstein wasn’t quite ready to make that proclamation yet. 

‘I believe it’s time for us to finish our investigation and I don’t want to bias any part of the investigation with premature thinking,’ she answered. ‘I think that’s very important.’  



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