House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced Wednesday that he has signed a resolution to censure House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff for fabricating a presidential phone call, last week.
“Chairman Adam Schiff has been lying to the American people for years. Now he is so desperate to damage the president he literally made up a false version of a phone,” McCarthy (R-CA) charged in a 9:45 AM tweet. “Enough is enough. I have signed a resolution to censure Schiff in the House of Representatives.”
Chairman Adam Schiff has been lying to the American people for years. Now he is so desperate to damage the president that he literally made up a false version of a phone call.
Enough is enough. I have signed a resolution to censure Schiff in the House of Representatives.
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) October 2, 2019
The resolution was introduced by last week by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), after Schiff misrepresented a July 2019 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenky.
Rep. Biggs said in a statement on Sept. 27 that it was inexcusable for the chairman to mislead Americans about a presidential phone call while Congress was reviewing whether the president has committed high crimes or misdemeanors.
During yesterday’s hearing, Chairman Schiff’s opening statement included a blatantly false retelling of President Trump’s conversation with the Ukrainian president. Democrats previously initiated an impeachment inquiry, which leads to one of the most serious, constitutional duties of Members of Congress: removal of the President of the United States. Through this process, if the President has committed high crimes or misdemeanors, Congress may overturn the election of the President and the will of the American people. It is therefore inexcusable to toy with the process and mislead the American public with such a statement.
ICYMI: Last week, I introduced a motion to condemn and censure Chairman Adam Schiff.
Thanks to @GOPLeader, @SteveScalise, @RepMarkMeadows, @Jim_Jordan, @JimPressOffice, @RepGosar, @RepMarkGreen, @RepJeffDuncan, @RepMoBrooks, & @RepScottPerry for cosponsoring this motion. https://t.co/ASW4m62toJ
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) October 2, 2019
In his opening statement during last week’s hearing with acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, Schiff described the call as a “classic organized crime shake down” and proceeded to read fabricated quotes from the text.
“In essence, what the President Trump communicates is this: We’ve been very good to your country,” the California Democrat said.
“Very good. No other country has done as much as we have. But you know what, I don’t see much reciprocity here. You know what I mean? I hear what you want. I have a favor I want from you though,” he added.
“And I’m only going to say this seven times so you better listen good. I want you to make up dirt on my political opponent, understand? Lots of it.”
Of course, that was a gross misreading of the phone call . At no point did the president direct Zelensky to “dig up dirt,” nor did he suggest it. Investigations in Ukraine over the government’s 2016 election meddling have been underway, and Trump was merely asking the newly elected Ukraine president to look into it, along with the Biden corruption and cooperate with the U.S. Justice Department.
Nonetheless, Democrats are using the text of cordial conversation (which Trump describes as “perfect”) to amp up their impeachment efforts against the president.
In a tweet earlier Wednesday morning, the president hit back at Schiff, saying he should resign and calling his behavior “sick.”
“Congressman Adam Schiff should resign for the Crime of, after reading a transcript of my conversation with the President of Ukraine (it was perfect), fraudulently fabricating a statement of the President of the United States and reading it to Congress, as though mine! ” Mr. Trump said in a tweet. “He is sick!
Congressman Adam Schiff should resign for the Crime of, after reading a transcript of my conversation with the President of Ukraine (it was perfect), fraudulently fabricating a statement of the President of the United States and reading it to Congress, as though mine! He is sick!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2019