Fox’s Andy McCarthy Calls Trump Administration’s ‘Treason’ Accusation Against Obama ‘Preposterous’
Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy rebuffed the “preposterous” claim by the Trump administration that former President Barack Obama committed “treason” on Thursday after Department of National Intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard released a memo regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Speaking to Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade Thursday morning, McCarthy said he doesn’t see Gabbard’s findings as “prosecutable.”
McCarthy, a former assistant U.S. attorney, also took issue with earlier comments from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who claimed the Obama White House “decided to lie to the American people and sabotage President Donald Trump” in December 2016.”
“Well, I respectfully disagree with Sen. Cruz’s interpretation of that, because I think what he is referring to is they were concerned about Russian attacks on election infrastructure and what they were talking about after the election was Russian hacking of the DNC, and the messaging that was anti-Clinton that they put out,” McCarthy said. “Even the Trump CIA agrees that that happened.
He added: “They were throwing around the word treason in the last couple of days, which you know, is preposterous, because treason is making war on the United States or aiding our wartime enemies, which obviously didn’t happen here.”
Read some of the conversation below:
ANDY MCCARTHY: Well, I respectfully disagree with Sen. Cruz’s interpretation of that, because I think what he is referring to is they were concerned about Russian attacks on election infrastructure and what they were talking about after the election was Russian hacking of the DNC, and the messaging that was anti-Clinton that they put out. Even the Trump CIA agrees that that happened. The scandal here is that they had a legitimate reason to investigate Russia’s meddling in the election. What they did was they used that as a pretext to basically investigate Trump, to spy on his presidency and to try and make him an ineffective president. That’s why it’s a terrible, political dirty trick. The issue again, Brian, is, “Is it prosecutable?” I just don’t see it.
BRIAN KILMEADE: Because of the statue of limitations of you just don’t see criminal behavior?
MCCARTHY: Well, you know, look, they were throwing around the word treason in the last couple of days, which you know, is preposterous, because treason is making war on the United States or aiding our wartime enemies, which obviously didn’t happen here. There is statute that makes it a crime for people who are government officials, including police and other government officials to conspire against people’s civil rights. If they were talking about that, I would think they would have a serious discussion of something that is criminal statute that might fit this situation, but that’s is not what they are talking about to the moment.
McCarthy’s remarks came a day after Gabbard confirmed that President Donald Trump’s White House is considering pursuing criminal charges against Obama during a White House press briefing.
“Do you believe President Obama is guilty of treason?” CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe asked Gabbard during the briefing.
“I’m leaving the criminal charges to the Department of Justice,” she replied. I am not an attorney, but as I’ve said previously, when you look at the intent behind creating a fake manufactured intelligence document that directly contradicts multiple assessments that were created by the intelligence community, the expressed intent and what followed afterward can only be described as a years-long coup and a treasonous conspiracy against the American people, our republic, and an attempt to undermine President [Donald] Trump’s administration.”
Obama responded to the claims in a statement on Tuesday, calling the allegations “bizarre” and “a weak attempt at distraction.”
Watch above via Fox News.
