CNN’s Abby Phillip on Thursday grilled Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) on a false claim from Republicans about the FBI’s 2022 classified documents search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
Phillip repeatedly asked Donalds why figures on the right — including both him and Trump — have claimed that a piece of boilerplate search warrant text, which authorized the use of deadly force in the raid, was actually evidence of some sort of “assassination attempt” that had been green-lit by President Joe Biden.
Trump himself has said Biden was “locked & loaded ready to take me out.”
“That’s just not true. Why would you say something like that?” Phillip asked Donalds, who attended Trump’s hush money trial in New York last week in a show of support for the quadruply indicted ex-POTUS.
Donalds, who is thought to be a potential running mate for presumptive GOP nominee Trump, dodged the question.
Phillip persisted, saying: “Congressman, with all due respect, the language for the search is standard operating procedure for every operation of that kind that the FBI does. They did the same thing when they searched Joe Biden’s house. So how is that weaponizing it?”
Donalds sidestepped again.
“Congressman, I’m talking about the conspiracy theory that the FBI was trying to assassinate Trump,” Phillip replied. “Would you acknowledge that that is not true?”
Donalds dodged a third time.
Phillip said: “Just, real simple question. Is it true or false that the FBI was trying to assassinate Trump?”
Yet another dodge from Donalds.
“Congressman, I just want to note that you are not responding to a very simple question about a conspiracy theory that you voiced,” Phillip said.
Following further evasions from Donalds, Phillip said it was “pretty extraordinary that when faced with really clear facts ― very clear facts, it’s pretty much black and white ― you won’t acknowledge” the reality of the situation.
“I’m trying to understand why,” she said. “Is it because the former president himself has raised this conspiracy that you feel like you have to support it?”
Watch the exchange here:
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
