As more and more evidence of criminality by Donald Trump emerges, Republicans have decided what’s really needed before losing the House is to double down on investigating Hillary Clinton’s emails. Today, Outnumbered cohosts Harris Faulkner suggested they subpoena Bill Clinton and Barack Obama as part of the effort.
Despite the news that Trump decided to withdraw troops from Syria, a bipartisan criminal justice reform passed the Senate and it appears a government shutdown has been averted without funding Trump’s wall, the top story on Outnumbered was former Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s testimony to Congress about – you guessed it, Clinton’s emails. While the gang was at it, they brought up James Comey’s testimony on the same subject. And then tossed out bigger fish for the GOP to go after.
Not all the conservatives were on board with the obsession. After a shocking round of “Happy Holidays” without a single “Merry Christmas” to be heard, cohost Melissa Francis introduced the subject. We even got a report from Peter Doocy on Capitol Hill. But afterward Francis wondered what was to be gained from “going over this territory again.” “What could we possibly learn that’s new?” she asked. “I just don’t know that it’s worthwhile to spend time dragging someone back, going over this.”
Cohost Katie Pavlich said she was “skeptical” anything would come of it. But, she said, “I would hope that the end game here would be to treat everybody equally under the law, regardless of whether you’re a Clinton or you’re a Trump.” Because, sure, putting some government emails on a private server should be just as serious as the growing mountain of criminality and malfeasance Trump has been implicated in. Pavlich lamented that the Lynch hearing had not occurred sooner.
Cohost Lisa “Kennedy” Montgomery gave a helpful recap of the tarmac meeting between Bill Clinton and Lynch. Because, sure, this inappropriate-looking 2016 discussion between the two while Hillary was under investigation deserves our full attention now. Unlike, say, Donald Trump’s appointment of the crooked, unqualified and conflicted Matt Whitaker to do his bidding as acting Attorney General.
“These are still very serious issues,” Kennedy said – about Lynch and the email investigation. “I think that’s a benefit for the country to get some of that on the record.”
Then Trump worshipper Faulkner spoke up, followed by the show's #OneLuckyGuy, Fox Business' David Asman.
FAULKNER: Since there were only two people who were having this conversation, are we also going to hear from Bill Clinton? I mean, if you want – as journalists we know that if you want the whole story, you have to talk with everybody. And you have to just listen. And so, are they gonna have Bill Clinton and let him talk about this, too? I don’t know.
ASMAN: Or President Obama. … He said that Hillary Clinton did not divulge any secrets … The point is, is that how would he know that if he wasn’t getting information he wasn’t supposed to get?
Hey, maybe Republicans ought to spend the next two years figuring out a way to post-presidentially impeach Obama and re-impeach Bill Clinton!
Meanwhile, see how the obsession with Hillary Clinton’s emails lives on below, from the December 19, 2018 Outnumbered.
The last time the Republicans dragged Hillary before Congress to hype one of their fever dream conspiracy theories – #Benghazi! – they embarrassed themselves. They’ve lost the House. They could hold Senate hearings but my understanding is they’re getting nervous about how the Senate will play in 2020. I’m not sure Republicans have the stomach for this or are as interested in covering for Trump who is looking increasingly erratic (e.g. Syria pullout, government shutdown threats, etc.).
Hillary and Bill, unfortunately, gave Fox News some ammunition to deflect from Trump. But that’s ancient history so Fox News and their Republican buddies can only flog a dead horse so much. Fox News has gotten a little bit of mileage from the Comey hearing because of his forgetful testimony. But I haven’t heard them exploit Lynch’s testimony so that must not have gone well for them. And even with Comey he fought back pretty well so that’s no better than a draw for conservatives.