President Donald Trump’s ties to Russia are damaging to national security, according to Rep. Eric Swalwell.
President Donald Trump’s ties to Russia are damaging to national security, according to Rep. Eric Swalwell.
«What concerns me is that the cost of this president’s ties to Russia is becoming our national security. And that’s a price that we just cannot afford to pay, » Swalwell, D-Calif., said Tuesday on MSNBC’s «Morning Joe.»
«People have a pretty easy time understanding why the president should not be disclosing national security secrets to an enemy when those secrets could affect American lives, » Swalwell said.
«I think a line was crossed and we need to know now, in Congress, just exactly what was told and what does this mean for the future of information sharing with allies and for the troops are serving abroad.»
Swalwell said Congress has a lot of levers it can pull, an independent investigation being one of them.
«There’s a lot we can do in Congress. We’re not powerless. And we’re supported by the American people, » Swalwell added.
On Monday, The Washington Post reported allegations about Trump revealing classified information to Russians. The president later tweeted that he had the «absolute right» to share the information with Russia.
Swalwell, a member of the House intelligence committee, also spoke Monday night about the issue, during an interview on MSNBC’s «All In With Chris Hayes.»
He said that he and Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., have introduced legislation calling for «no Russia rewards, » which he said would freeze any support for Russia until the completion of an investigation.
«We’re not helpless in Congress, and we shouldn’t act as if we are, » Swalwell said.
The congressman criticized the president’s statements, which he said often do not agree with statements the president made previously.
«There seems to be a tweet from Donald Trump in the past that is contradicted by the current Donald Trump every time he opens mouth or everytime he acts these days, » the congressman said.
