WATCH LIVE: DNI Coats Testifies After Reports He Rebuffed Trump On FBI Probe

United States Senator Dan Coats (Republican of Indiana) listens as witnesses are questioned US Senate Intelligence Hearing on Worldwide Threats, Capitol Hill, Washington DC, America - 09 Feb 2016 (Rex Features via AP Images)
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Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats appears in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday morning after a bombshell Washington Post report revealed that he was asked by President Trump to push back publicly against the FBI probe into allegations that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians. He is testifying in an unrelated hearing on “worldwide threats,” but it is likely that the allegations in the Washington Post report will come up.

According to the Post, Trump reached out to Coats after then-FBI Director James Comey revealed in public testimony that the FBI was investigating links between Trump affiliates and Russia. Coats did not comply with Trump’s request to shoot down the claims about the investigation, as a former senior intelligence official told the Post, “The problem wasn’t so much asking them to issue statements, it was asking them to issue false statements about an ongoing investigation.” Trump went on to fire Comey earlier this month.

Watch the hearing live below:


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Notable Replies

  1. Way too early for popcorn, but what the heck…

  2. This is like a tech or dress rehearsal fro impeachment hearings. Getting it all on record. Dems need to build on this every day, hang the stain Orange Foolius around every GOP neck, driving down their poll numbers and tightening every House race until they say Uncle.
    It’s going to be an amazing summer.

  3. So far, it’s only the ® morons in Congress are sticking their necks out for Trump.

    Saw this on the Tweeter : From now on when I see an ® next to a politician’s name, I’m just going to assume it means Russia.

  4. Grampy Cryptkeeper McCain still can’t get over the fact that he lost badly to President Obama.

    I keep expecting him to whip out electoral college maps.

  5. is it just me, or does Coats look super uncomfortable?

    … maybe only when the questions are about Trump. What a surprise!

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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