Trump Condemned After Suggesting Adam Schiff Be Arrested ‘For Treason’: New Grounds ‘For Impeachment’
President Donald Trump called for the arrest of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) after accusing the lawmaker of committing treason in a Monday morning tweet.
“Rep. Adam Schiff illegally made up a FAKE & terrible statement, pretended it to be mine as the most important part of my call to the Ukrainian President, and read it aloud to Congress and the American people,” wrote Trump. “It bore NO relationship to what I said on the call. Arrest for Treason?”
Rep. Adam Schiff illegally made up a FAKE & terrible statement, pretended it to be mine as the most important part of my call to the Ukrainian President, and read it aloud to Congress and the American people. It bore NO relationship to what I said on the call. Arrest for Treason?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2019
Trump’s comments, which were published shortly after the president suggested America will spiral into a “Civil War like” state if he is impeached, were in response to Schiff giving a “parody” account of Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while speaking on the House floor on Thursday. Included in Schiff’s hyperbolic interruption of the president’s July 25 call, which can be viewed in the video below, was a comment that Trump asked Zelensky “to make up dirt on my political opponent.”
The president did not say those words verbatim, but Schiff defended his account by claiming satire: “My summary of the president’s call was meant to be at least, part, in parody. The fact that that’s not clear is a separate problem in and of itself. Of course, the president never said, ‘If you don’t understand me I’m going to say it seven more times,’ my point is, that’s the message that the Ukraine president was receiving in not so many words.”
Trump was swiftly and widely condemned by pundits and journalists for calling to arrest Schiff, with some accusing him of upping his violent rhetoric as a treason conviction can result in the death penalty; a particularly relevant point, due to the president recently comparing the whistleblower complaint to “treason” and suggesting the so-called “spies” behind it be taken care of like America did “in the old days when we were smart.”
Check out a few of the media reactions to Trump’s latest attack on Schiff below:
In a few *hours* we will have moved on from the president baselessly accusing the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee of “treason” and calling to arrest him—because he’s lawfully investigating Trump.
The breakdown of democracy happens as the unthinkable becomes routine.
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) September 30, 2019
Trump: Confront the President’s wrongdoing, be charged with Treason. https://t.co/rOxn2ya0dw
— David Jolly (@DavidJollyFL) September 30, 2019
If Trump weren’t too ignorant and unhinged to take seriously, his ludicrous talk of arresting @RepAdamSchiff for “treason” would be terrifying. Actually, it’s terrifying anyway. If there’s a traitor in this picture, it sure as hell isn’t Adam Schiff. https://t.co/SAkBKIXzdb
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) September 30, 2019
It is notable that Trump’s definition of treason is criticism of him personally rather than betrayal of the country.
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) September 30, 2019
Sorry. There’s no way to spin this. It’s not 5 dimensional chess. It’s just insanity. Schiff’s stunt was cheap and dumb. But it’s not treason or illegal. If Trump was just a reality TV star, who would care? But he is president. https://t.co/4at82moIHb
— Eli Lake (@EliLake) September 30, 2019
Beyond the immediate toxicity of Trump’s tweet about Schiff, he continues to reveal a complete lack of understanding about what “treason” is. https://t.co/0IRMVY07vY
— Philip Bump (@pbump) September 30, 2019
Trump calling for Schiff to be arrested for (checks notes) treason after his statement last week.
I really don’t think Trump wants to setup treason up as a precedent for politicians that lie to “Congress and the American people.” https://t.co/9QBp7lA87A
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) September 30, 2019
Another ground for impeachment: Threatening the Congressman leading an investigation into his wrongdoing with false arrest for treason. pic.twitter.com/fdC5IljoGn
— Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) September 30, 2019
Treason = people who dont like me.
— Liz Garbus (@lizgarbus) September 30, 2019
The president of the United States, responding to a Fox chyron, suggests arresting a U.S. congressman for treason. This is so dangerous.
Left, Fox Business, 7:08 a.m.
Right, Trump, 8:12 a.m. pic.twitter.com/zX88TDK9lh— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) September 30, 2019
Watch Schiff’s comments referenced in the Trump tweet above, via CSPAN.
[featured image via Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images]
