The chairwoman of the Republican National Committee said Wednesday that President Donald Trump was just making conversation when he asked the acting FBI director who he voted for.
According to the New York Times and the Washington Post on Tuesday, Trump asked then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe who he voted for shortly after the President fired James Comey as FBI director.
McCabe’s wife, Jill McCabe, ran for the Virginia state senate in 2015 and received a large donation from the super PAC affiliated with Terry McAuliffe, then the state’s governor and a Hillary Clinton ally. Republicans, led by Trump, have seized on the donation to attack McCabe.
McCabe reportedly told the President he didn’t vote.
“I know this is a big story, I think it’s just a conversation,” RNC chair Ronna McDaniel told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota Wednesday. “I don’t think it intends [sic] all these terrible things that people are trying to put forward.”
“But was it inappropriate?” Camerota asked.
“I don’t know, I ask people who they vote for sometimes,” McDaniel said. “I think it’s just trying to get to know somebody, I don’t think the intentions are as bad as are being put out.”
Camerota pressed: “You don’t think it’s that President Trump thinks that if anybody voted for a Democrat, they cannot do their jobs impartially?”
“I don’t think so,” McDaniel said. “I really don’t think so. He’s certainly not going around to every single FBI agent and saying, ‘Did you vote for me?’ It’s a conversation. He had someone in his office. He kept people on who I know— I’m sure he thinks didn’t support him. I mean, this is a President who’s just getting to know people and that’s part of those conversations.”
In fact, Trump has shown a consistent pattern of expecting loyalty from those he believes to be his underlings. James Comey swore under oath that Trump asked for his loyalty when they met alone in the Oval Office. Trump has denied doing so. Trump also reportedly personally interviewed potential U.S. attorneys for New York.
Watch below:
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on reports Trump asked then-acting FBI director Andrew McCabe who he voted for in the 2016 election: “I think it is just a conversation … I ask people who they vote for sometimes.” https://t.co/pgXWKW8uHx https://t.co/b95FTqGgiW
— New Day (@NewDay) January 24, 2018
H/t Mediaite
