What Investigation? G.O.P. Responds to F.B.I. Inquiry by Changing Subject

The following article by Michael D. Shear was posted on the New York Times website March 20, 2017:


James B. Comey, the director of the F.B.I., said the agency was investigating whether members of the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Republicans and Democrats put their own spin on his statements. By SHANE O’NEILL and SUSAN JOAN ARCHER. Photo by Eric Thayer for The New York Times.

WASHINGTON — The headline from Capitol Hill on Monday was bracing: confirmation of a criminal investigation into connections between associates of a sitting president and Russian operatives during a presidential election.

But the response from Republicans was almost as striking: During hours of testimony in which James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director, acknowledged the inquiry, they shrugged off its implications and instead offered a coordinated effort to defend President Trump by demanding a focus on leaks to news organizations. Continue reading “What Investigation? G.O.P. Responds to F.B.I. Inquiry by Changing Subject”