The pressure to respond to a constant stream of Trump administration controversies appears to be taking its toll on congressional Republicans. Strain began to show on Capitol Hill Tuesday even before the New York Times reported that President Donald Trump asked James Comey in February to end the FBI’s investigation of Mike Flynn.
Lawmakers spent part of Tuesday afternoon calling for more information from the White House about what the president said in ameeting between Trump and Russian officials last week. Trump reportedly revealed classified intelligence that pertained to an Islamic State (ISIS) plot during the meeting.
Senate Foreign Relations chairman Bob Corker, who occupied headlines Monday when he said the White House was in a “downward spiral,” appeared weary when confronted with questions about the meeting Tuesday. Asked whether there was a “breaking point” for Republican support for Trump, Corker hedged: “I think, you know… I think I’ve said enough for a few days. I really have.”
As he made his way into the room where the rest of his colleagues were having their weekly lunch, one reporter asked whether the president could still be trusted with classified information.
“I …” Corker paused and shrugged his shoulders, “sure.”
Later, as senators made their way to the final vote of the day, the New York Times released its report related to on Trump, Comey, and Flynn. One reporter opened the story on his phone and showed it to South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham for the senator to read.
Graham squinted at the screen for a few seconds. He did not respond.
Corker is the chairman of a powerful Senate committee; Graham has been in Congress for more than 20 years. If they are beginning to show wear and tear, it only makes sense that their colleagues are too.
“I’m not going to have anything to say about that story until I speak to the White House later today,” said Florida senator Marco Rubio.
Asked whether Trump could still be trusted with classified information, Rubio said, “I’m not going to base my assessment of anything on one newspaper article.”
Others, like Arizona senator John McCain, objected to the Russian officials’ visit itself.
“[Lavrov] never should have been within ten miles of the White House,” McCain told TWS. “They’re the ones that have used precision weapons to destroy hospitals in Aleppo. They’re the ones that tried to interfere with our election.”
The comments echo some made on the House side by Wisconsin congressman Mike Gallagher.
“Regardless of what was shared in the meeting, it’s dangerous to believe that Russia can be a reliable counterterrorism partner,” Gallagher wrote on Twitter early Tuesday. “The sooner we abandon this fantasy and work with our allies to oppose the Russian-Iranian axis throughout the Middle East, the better.”
Senate Intelligence chairman Richard Burr told reporters that his committee would like to speak to administration officials present at the meeting between Trump and Russian officials.
“What we’re attempting to do is to have a conversation with an individual or multiple individuals at the White House that were part of the meeting,” said Burr. “We’d like to understand what was said.”
Burr told reporters earlier that he had been trying to get in touch with the White House “all morning” without much success. “Maybe they’re busy,” he said.
The constant flow of news from the White House is also taking its toll on the legislative process, lawmakers say.
“This makes it tougher to get our agenda done when this is going on,” Arizona senator Jeff Flake said. “It’s concerning.”
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell told Bloomberg earlier Tuesday that Congress “could do with a little less drama from the White House.”
“So that we can focus on our agenda,” he continued, “which is deregulations, tax reform and repealing and replacing Obamacare.”
