If newly-minted Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz’ punditry about Donald Trump Jr.’s Russian meeting proved anything, it’s that Chaffetz needs to tone down his blatant partisan hackery a notch or two.
In his maiden voyage to the Outnumbered show, one of the topics Chaffetz was asked to weigh in on was the New York Times' bombshell report that Trump Jr. met with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer who had promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton, right after his father had clinched the presidential nomination.
Chaffetz, until recently the chairman of the powerful House Oversight Committee, once had salivated over spending years investigating a Hillary Clinton presidency. But on Outnumbered, he dismissed what George W. Bush’s ethics lawyer said “borders on treason” as a yawner.
It did not sit so well with the four cohosts who usually act as a Trump cheering section.
“Optically, it just looks weird,” cohost Meghan McCain said. “Do you not see?”
Cohost Sandra Smith did her best to sugar coat her view but she noted how Trump Jr. changed his story once the Times reported that he had been promised damaging information. “I’m not being critical, but I’m just pointing this out,” she said.
But “Benghazi” Chaffetz dismissed Trump Jr.’s failure to disclose this meeting by suggesting it could have slipped anyone’s mind that they met with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer who promised damaging information about their opponent. “It would be almost impossible, over a two-year campaign, to account for every 15 or 20 minute meeting,” Chaffetz ridiculously said.
As John Amato, at Crooks and Liars noted, Chaffetz “often refused to answer a direct question from the Outnumbered ladies. It’s as if they were ‘Meet the Press’ or ‘Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace.’”
Note to Chaffetz, when the Outnumbered ladies look like Meet the Press with a just-resigned powerful Republican congressman, you know you've got some work to do.
Watch Chaffetz get grilled below, from the July 10, 2017 Outnumbered, via Crooks and Liars.
Correction: I originally misquoted George W. Bush's ethics lawyer, Richard Painter, as having said Trump's behavior was "borderline treason."
“I can no longer in good conscience endorse Trump for president. It is some of the most abhorrent and offensive comments that you can possibly imagine. My wife and I, we have a 15-year-old daughter, and if I can’t look her in the eye and tell her these things, I can’t endorse this person.”
Chaffetz then voted for him……..
