Senate Republicans on Wednesday rejected claims by Democrats that President Trump is getting ready to pardon Paul Manafort, his former campaign chairman who was convicted Tuesday on eight counts related to bank fraud and tax evasion.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Wednesday warned Trump “should not even consider pardoning Mr. Manafort or Mr. Cohen at any point in the future,” adding, “To do so would be the most flagrant abuse of the pardon power and a clear obstruction of justice.”
But Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., said the threat from Schumer is wishful thinking for Democrats, who would love to see Trump make a move that could influence whether Manafort cooperates with special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether Russia and the Trump campaign worked together to gain an edge in the 2016 election.
Trump won’t make a move to spare Manafort, Inhofe said.
“That’s not a concern I share,” Inhofe said.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told reporters, “I haven’t heard anyone discuss that except the press,” when he was asked about a Trump pardon of Manafort.
Trump tweeted positively about Manafort Wednesday, sparking the response from Democrats and their suspicion he is sending a signal that a pardon is imminent.
“There are constitutional rights or capabilities that the president does have,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D. “But there is also good decision-making that goes along with that office. I don’t think there is anybody up here suggesting that would be a good political move on his part.”
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Trump pardoning Manafort “would be an enormous mistake and misuse of his power to pardon.”
[Opinion: Here’s why Trump will probably pardon Paul Manafort one year from now]
Republican lawmakers Wednesday were largely reticent about both Manafort’s conviction and the sudden plea agreement made by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who appeared to implicate the president as a co-conspirator who helped him violate campaign finance laws by paying off mistresses.
Republicans said they did not discuss the matter during a closed-door lunch.
“I wouldn’t assume anything Mr. Cohen says is true,” Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, said as he left the lunch and headed to his office a few steps away.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said the events yesterday appear unrelated to the Mueller probe, or Trump.
“I don’t see where this stuff has anything to do with Russia,” Kennedy said. “The campaign finance part, I think I understand the basis of the allegation but I feel pretty confident the president’s lawyers are going to push back on it.”
Republicans also dismissed growing calls by Democrats to postpone Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation vote because of the Cohen accusation.
Schumer called Kavanaugh’s nomination a “danger,” because of the Cohen accusation and because Kavanaugh refused to say “that a president must comply with a duly issued subpoena” in a sit-down with him on Tuesday.
Some Democrats scheduled to meet with Kavanaugh this week have now canceled their appointments with the nominee, but none were among a handful of party lawmakers who were likely to vote for him ultimately.
Collins, a key GOP vote who is undecided on Kavanaugh, disagreed with Schumer.
“There is no connection” between Tuesday’s events and Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing and vote, Collins said. “I don’t see any basis for delaying them.”
Trump’s biggest Republican detractor in the Senate, Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who is retiring, didn’t align with his less concerned GOP colleagues when reporters asked him about the developments with Manafort and Cohen.
Flake said the conviction and plea agreement add to a growing list of people associated with Trump who are charged in connection with the Mueller probe.
“This is serious,” Flake said. “It’s serious.”
