CNN’s Tapper Battles GOP Senator Over Trump Admin’s Efforts to Indict 6 Democrats: ‘You Really Don’t Think This DOJ is Politicized?’

CNN’s Jake Tapper confronted Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) on Sunday’s State of the Union over Trump’s Department of Justice trying and failing to indict six Democratic lawmakers for creating a video urging troops not to obey illegal orders.

President Donald Trump had called their actions “sedition at the highest level” and demanded the DOJ prosecute Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D- MI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Chris Deluzio (D-PA).

“So, your fellow Republican senators were pretty outspoken about what the Trump administration tried to do,” Tapper began, listing off comments from Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

“How do you feel about the Trump administration trying to send those six members of Congress, including two of your Senate colleagues, to prison?” Tapper asked.

Mullin claimed he had no opinion on the DOJ’s actions, saying, “It’s not the lane I walk in — I leave that to the DOJ. I’m not an attorney, don’t pretend to be an attorney.”

“I do have a tough time imagining, let’s say if the Biden administration had tried to prosecute Rand Paul for saying things about Covid that they didn’t like,” Tapper pushed back. “I have a tough time imagining you would say the same thing.”

“Well, I would say the same thing if I’m not familiar with the case law,” Mullin persisted, adding, “What we don’t want to happen is for the DOJ to be used for political leverage, which is what happened underneath the Biden administration, which what happened when they went after Trump for year after year after year. And we’re trying to change that.”

A dubious Tapper argued, “Well, you just said you didn’t want to weigh in, but then you accused the Biden DOJ of politicizing the DOJ. I mean this DOJ is going after Trump’s political opponents: [James] Comey, Letitia James, people on the Fed, two of your colleagues, Kelly and Slotkin. I mean, you really don’t think this DOJ is politicized?”

Mullin ignored the question and returned to attacking Biden.

“I don’t think there’s even a question that the DOJ was weaponized against President Trump at this point. I mean, I don’t even think that’s a question.”

Mullin then claimed the DOJ issue was “nothing but a distraction” from the “political theater” of Democratic lawmakers allowing a partial government shutdown over immigration policy.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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