Gaetz Gets Combative Over Release Of Intel Memo: ‘I Don’t Trust CNN Anchors’

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) interviewed by CNN anchor Chris Cuomo on Jan. 24, 2018.
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

During an interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Wednesday evening, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) grew combative about the media and blamed Democrats for attempting to block the release of a Republican-authored memo that claims to reveal the basis of an anti-Trump bias at the FBI.

Cuomo told Gaetz that he wants the memo released because he doesn’t trust politicians.

“I want to know more because politicians have politics in mind,” Cuomo said.

“So do reporters,” Gaetz said, cutting Cuomo off.

“And I do no trust any of you as ultimate arbiters of fact,” Cuomo continued.

“I don’t trust CNN anchors, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a debate about the context. … CNN calling someone partisan?” Gaetz scoffed.

The memo in question was authored by Rep. Devin Nunes’ (R-CA) staffers, and it reportedly contains classified information about the conduct of senior Department of Justice and FBI officials, that allegedly proves Republicans’ claims of the Justice Department’s bias against President Donald Trump. The memo was reportedly shared with many Republican members of Congress, but has not been turned over to the FBI or the Department of Justice.

Democrats are questioning the validity of the memo, with Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) calling it a “conspiracy theory.” Two California Democrats Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Adam Schiff have asked Facebook and Twitter to probe whether the hashtag promoting the release of the memo on social media was propagated by Russian bots.

Watch some of the exchange between Cuomo and Gaetz, who spouts several other theories about the FBI and the Russia investigation, below:

 

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: