James Comer Gives Dems an Unexpected Gift
The House Oversight Committee swung at Clinton but might have hit Trump.
Comer’s odyssey
Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) accomplished another feat this week by successfully compelling former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to testify in the committee’s ongoing investigation of all things related to Jeffrey Epstein. The Democratic power couple had initially rebuffed their subpoenas, but after some back and forth and a bipartisan contempt markup, the Clintons agreed to the committee’s demands.
“Once it became clear that the House of Representatives would hold them in contempt, the Clintons completely caved and will appear for transcribed, filmed depositions this month,” Comer gushed in a statement Tuesday.
But it turns out that the most important member of Comer’s audience, President Donald Trump, might not be so pleased with the move.
“I think it’s a shame, to be honest,” Trump said Tuesday in the Oval Office after a question about Clinton appearing before the committee. “I hate to see it in many ways. I hate to see it, but, you know, then I look at me, they went after me—like, you know, they wanted me to go to jail for the rest of my life. Then it turned out I was innocent.”
It was a rare and revealing moment for the president in that he seemed to show an understanding of the bigger picture. To make clear what I think he realized: House Republicans have just created a precedent that allows Congress to compel former presidents to testify under threat of contempt, which can result in charges that may lead to jail time. And Trump could be the next person to be targeted in this way if circumstances change on Capitol Hill.