“You’ve seen (Republicans) rally around this because it seems unfair, and there seems to be a long history of losing credibility in the Justice Department at the hands of Democrats, and I think people are rightly upset about that,” Crenshaw said. The FBI’s search of Trump’s compound in Palm Beach, Florida, came after a US judge signed a search warrant for the home. The Justice Department removed 11 sets of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago, according to court documents. The inventory showed that some of the recovered materials were marked “top secret/SCI,” which is one of the highest levels of classification. On Thursday, the judge said he plans to unseal portions of the affidavit used by the Justice Department to obtain the search warrant. The Justice Department had argued against the release at Thursday’s hearing, acknowledging calls for transparency but noting there was “another public interest” in protecting an ongoing criminal investigation from outside influence. Crenshaw suggested Sunday that Trump’s role as a former president and potential future presidential candidate should have been considered before signing off on the investigation. “When you go after a former president who might run again … that’s automatically political,” he said. “You can’t separate the legal aspects of this from the political aspects of it. You can’t. And it doesn’t seem to me that they acted responsibly as a result.” Crenshaw also criticized Republicans who have attacked or threatened violence against police officers in the wake of the FBI investigation, calling it “totally wrong” and adding that “99% of Republicans are not on that train.” the FBI” have risen since the Mar-a-Lago investigation, signaling Trump’s ascendancy in the party. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Paul Gosar of Arizona have posted the sentiment on their social media accounts, and Greene is selling $30 hats and T-shirts with the slogan. And New York congressional candidate Carl Paladino, whose campaign has been endorsed by House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, said in a radio interview that Attorney General Merrick Garland, who leads the DOJ, “probably should be executed.” (He later clarified that he was “just aggressive.”) CNN reported earlier this month that the FBI was investigating an “unprecedented” number of threats against office personnel and property in the wake of the investigation. Days after the investigation, a man believed to be armed with an AR-15 rifle and a nail gun attempted to break into the FBI’s Cincinnati field office. He was killed hours later after a standoff with authorities.
Damage assessment
Meanwhile, in a separate appearance Sunday on “State of the Union,” House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff said he has yet to receive a damage assessment or classified briefing from the intelligence community following his request last week after the search of Trump’s home. “I guess that’s being done and I have every expectation that he’s going to share with us. So I’m looking forward to that,” he told Tapper. Schiff and House Speaker Carolyn Maloney made the request to Avril Haines, director of the National Intelligence Service, according to a letter dated Aug. 13 obtained by CNN. Schiff, who also serves on the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, said he was “encouraged” to hear former Vice President Mike Pence suggest last week that he might be available to testify before the committee, if invited. “I hope it meant what it seemed to mean. We’ve been talking to the vice president’s counsel for quite some time. So he knows our interest in having him before us,” Schiff said. “And I’m sure, if he’s really willing, that there was a way to resolve any executive privilege or separation of powers issues. There’s, of course, nothing to prevent the vice president from deciding to come before Congress, and I would hope, given of the seriousness of the issues we face here and the attack on our capital, and the attack on our democracy itself, that he would be willing to come.” Pence, who was on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6 for a joint session of Congress to certify Joe Biden’s election victory, told a rally in New Hampshire on Wednesday: “If there was an invitation to participate, I would consider it.” But a person with knowledge of Pence’s thinking cautioned against reading too much into his remarks, noting that the former vice president would have serious constitutional concerns about appearing before the Jan. 6 panel. This story has been updated. CNN’s Betsy Klein contributed to this report.
