White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said President Trump was pleased with Republican lawmakers who stormed a secure hearing room where committee members were conducting impeachment proceedings.
Lawmakers not on the committees that were invited to the closed-door testimony of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper demanded entry into the hearing but were denied on Thursday.
Grisham addressed the sit-in during a Friday morning interview on Fox & Friends.
“I’m glad they did it,” she began. “Again, these Dems have been doing everything behind closed doors and in secret. And so, it’s about time that somebody made a very bold stand, which is I guess a sit-in, which is what they did, and it was great and the point was well-taken, and I think that because now I’m hearing the Dems have agreed in three weeks that they’re going to open these up to the public.”
[Related: Lindsey Graham clarifies describing GOP storming of closed-door deposition as ‘nuts’]
Grisham added, “I don’t know why they don’t do it starting now. It seems like it’s working. They know they’re wrong. They know everything they are doing is just for show.”
The GOP lawmakers who interrupted the hearing ordered pizza and snacks as a way to delay Cooper’s testimony.
She later revealed that Trump was “happy” and “supportive” of the sit-in days after the president called for his party to “get tougher” in the face of the impeachment proceedings.
Thank you to House Republicans for being tough, smart, and understanding in detail the greatest Witch Hunt in American History. It has been going on since long before I even got Elected (the Insurance Policy!). A total Scam!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 24, 2019
Trump reiterated his support tweeting, “Thank you to House Republicans for being tough, smart, and understanding in detail the greatest Witch Hunt in American History. It has been going on since long before I even got Elected (the Insurance Policy!). A total Scam!”
