The president’s blanket resistance to allowing former and current aides to testify forces Democrats to consider multiple contempt citations and months-long civil litigation.
By Rachael Bade and Rachael Bade Congressional reporter Email Bio Follow Tom Hamburger Tom Hamburger Investigative reporter focused on the intersection of money and politics in Washington Email Bio Follow April 24 at 6:41 PM House Democrats are grappling with how to respond to President Trump’s blanket resistance to cooperating with their investigations — defiance that legal experts say could upend the nation’s fundamental principle of checks and balances.
In that sense, Trump’s no-cooperation stance has created a conundrum for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi . Democrats have long worried about appearing overzealous in their probes of the president. Trump, however, may leave Democrats no choice but to declare all-out war on his strategy. Rep. Gerald E. Connolly , a member of the Oversight Committee, said Trump’s moves are “triggering a constitutional crisis” and argued that the White House posture shouldn’t just concern Democrats but Republicans as well. The House, he said, should revisit the idea of instructing the sergeant at arms to find and jail those who defy subpoenas until they relent, a step Congress hasn’t taken since the 1870s.
Democratic aides downplayed the possibility of either happening, but such comments underscore the frustration in Congress. Democrats expressed optimism that they will win on the merits as their issues head to the courts, but Trump’s strategy creates political pitfalls and the prospect of delays in the legal system.
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