Devin Nunes thinks his first duty is to Trump, not the truth

Mark Sumner

Daily Kos Staff

Friday March 24, 2017 · 6:26 AM PDT

2017/03/24 · 06:26

Rep. Devin Nunes, Chairman Intelligence Committee speaks during the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Russian actions during the 2016 election campaign on March 20, 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. .. / AFP PHOTO / Nicholas Kamm (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

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Dear voters of California’s 22nd District, fellow members of the House intelligence committee, and citizens of America—Devin Nunes is making it clear where you stand.

House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes said Thursday he "felt he had a duty and obligation" to inform President Donald Trump that transition officials on his team may have had communications intercepted inadvertently, a decision that has drawn the ire of congressional Democrats.

When Republicans look for a judge, they seem to like the idea of an ‘originalist’ who interprets the Constitution literally—or at least, the way the mythical conservative founder of their dreams would have interpreted that document. But when it comes to Congress, Republicans seem to have dropped the whole idea of multiple branches of government in favor of the mono-cameral House of Trump. Even better is Nunes’ reason for running home to Donald.

"It’s clear that I would be concerned if I was the president, and that’s why I wanted him to know, and I felt like I had a duty and obligation to tell him because, as you know, he’s taking a lot of heat in the news media,” Nunes told Fox News' Sean Hannity.

He felt like he had a duty to Trump because of “heat” from the media. Said heat coming down on Trump because he issued a series of tweets that were clearly, what’s that phrase, malicious lies, and everyone from Nunes fellow Congressmen to the intelligence community had called Trump out on those lies.

So the moment that Nunes had a sliver of information in his grasp that seemed to offer even the kind of twisted vindication that even Fox would have a hard time maintaining, he ran to Trump for a pat on the head. But what he deserves is a kick in the ass.

The intelligence chairman shared few details on the intelligence report, but Trump and conservatives quickly latched onto Nunes' comments, using the revelation to claim that Trump's baseless accusation that President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower was proven correct.

However, it's not even clear that the intelligence community picked up communications from Trump and his associates.

What Nunes seems to have come across is likely related to a criminal investigation, perhaps a follow on to earlier investigation of Russian mob activity within Trump Tower. Any communications with anyone on the Trump team is likely because they were having conversations with people who were involved in very unsavory work.

But somehow Nunes doesn’t find this damning, but exculpatory. Nunes also thinks that someone has to figure out whether or not the investigation was carried out correctly. Who would that be?

Nunes added that he felt sharing the information was necessary for Trump to make his own determination on whether the surveillance was carried out improperly.

Ah. So Trump gets to make the accusation, gets to interpret the information, and determine whether it was done properly.

Trump: the one branch of government.

Devin Nunes thinks his first duty is to Trump, not the truth

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