President Donald Trump blasted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff on Wednesday over the bombshell revelation that Schiff knew about the CIA whistleblower well in advance of the official whistleblower complaint being filed.
“The early account by the future whistle-blower … explains how Mr. Schiff knew to press for the complaint when the Trump administration initially blocked lawmakers from seeing it,” The New York Times reported. “Before going to Congress, the C.I.A. officer had a colleague convey his accusations to the agency’s top lawyer. Concerned about how that avenue for airing his allegations was unfolding, the officer then approached a House Intelligence Committee aide, alerting him to the accusation against Mr. Trump.”
Trump reacted to the bombshell revelation during a press conference on Wednesday, claiming that the incident proved that Schiff was a fraud and accusing him of writing the complaint for the whistleblower.
“It shows that Schiff is a fraud,” Trump said. “It’s a scandal … he knew long before and [Schiff] helped write [the whistleblower complaint.”
Video: Here’s Trump reacting to a question from @JohnRobertsFox bringing up the yuuge ‘New York Times’ story that says Schiff was notified in advance about the whistleblower and that a staffer was alerted before the complaint was even filed pic.twitter.com/YW09fhRFKV
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 2, 2019
Trump was not the only one who took aim at Schiff, as many in the media and across the political spectrum slammed him for his actions and suggested it was a coordinated effort to overthrow the government and that “the fix was in.”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted: “Chairman Adam Schiff just got caught orchestrating with the whistleblower before the complaint was ever filed. Democrats have rigged this process from the start.”
BREAKING –> Chairman Adam Schiff just got caught orchestrating with the whistleblower before the complaint was ever filed. Democrats have rigged this process from the start.https://t.co/oMdSGByYtf
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) October 2, 2019
The Federalist Co-Founder Sean Davis tweeted: “CONFIRMED: The anti-Trump whistleblower and his team coordinated with Rep. Adam Schiff, before he filed his complaint with the Intelligence Community Inspector General.”
CONFIRMED: The anti-Trump whistleblower and his team coordinated with Rep. Adam Schiff, before he filed his complaint with the Intelligence Community Inspector General. https://t.co/fl64KW9Haz
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) October 2, 2019
Senior White House Advisor Kellyanne Conway tweeted: “The Fix Was In. @nytimes: Schiff, House Intel Chairman, Got Early Account of Whistle-Blower’s Accusations. ‘The original accusation was vague,’ ‘By the time whistleblower filed his complaint, Schiff & his staff knew at least vaguely what it contained.'”
The Fix Was In. @nytimes:
Schiff, House Intel Chairman, Got Early Account of Whistle-Blower’s Accusations.
“The original accusation was vague”
“By the time whistleblower filed his complaint, Schiff & his staff knew at least vaguely what it contained”
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) October 2, 2019
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted: “This is a stunning indictment of this impeachment charade. Schiff got a heads up on all this. His team then advised the ‘whistleblower’ how to proceed, like getting a Clinton/Schumer lawyer who donated to Biden. Who’s colluding now?”
This is a stunning indictment of this impeachment charade.
Schiff got a heads up on all this.
His team then advised the “whistleblower” how to proceed, like getting a Clinton/Schumer lawyer who donated to Biden.
Who’s colluding now?https://t.co/qLDM3AYHmO
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) October 2, 2019
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) tweeted: “Shocker (not really)…@RepAdamSchiff knew the whistleblower’s allegations before the whistleblower’s atty & before there was a whistleblower complaint. No surprise who told this person to be a whistleblower, hire an atty & file a complaint w no 1st hand knowledge.”
Shocker (not really)…@RepAdamSchiff knew the whistleblower’s allegations before the whistleblower’s atty & before there was a whistleblower complaint. No surprise who told this person to be a whistleblower, hire an atty & file a complaint w no 1st hand knowledge. https://t.co/yeg2lwOagV
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) October 2, 2019
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) tweeted: “So the whistleblower was communicating with team Adam Schiff behind the scenes? Well. This explains a lot, indeed.”
So the whistleblower was communicating with team Adam Schiff behind the scenes?
Well. This explains a lot, indeed. https://t.co/57Z9OdezlA
— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) October 2, 2019
Ari Fleicher tweeted: “Why did the whistleblower only give a heads up to the Democratic-controlled House? Why didn’t he also go to the Senate Intelligence Committee?”
Why did the whistleblower only give a heads up to the Democratic-controlled House? Why didn’t he also go to the Senate Intelligence Committee? https://t.co/3XfMipDV67 via @NYTimes
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) October 2, 2019
Guy Benson tweeted: “This was suspected. Now apparently confirmed. This doesn’t change the substance of the transcript & what was said. That’s on Trump. It does feed the storyline that this is fundamentally politically motivated / partisan. And Schiff lacks credibility already … ”
This was suspected. Now apparently confirmed. This doesn’t change the substance of the transcript & what was said. That’s on Trump. It does feed the storyline that this is fundamentally politically motivated / partisan. And Schiff lacks credibility already… https://t.co/tEC75oIfB0
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) October 2, 2019
Eric Trump tweeted: ” … and the bricks begin to crumble. This is the pure definition of corruption. Did he write or influence the letter?”
… and the bricks begin to crumble. This is the pure definition of corruption. Did he write or influence the letter? https://t.co/74gIdkNCW5
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) October 2, 2019
Donald Trump Jr. tweeted: “Now the NYT story confirms even more of what we already know about sleaze bag Adam #FullOfSchiff. I figured I’d re-up my tweet from yesterday. Who would have guessed he was in on another hoax all along? That this joker can keep his job is a disgrace.”
Now the NYT story confirms even more of what we already know about sleaze bag Adam #FullOfSchiff. I figured I’d re-up my tweet from yesterday. Who would have guessed he was in on another hoax all along?🙄
That this joker can keep his job is a disgrace. https://t.co/AUwvQ66UeE https://t.co/HL3tPr4FbH
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 2, 2019
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) tweeted: “Turns out @RepAdamSchiff knew about the so-called ‘whistleblower complaint’ before it was even filed. This fits a trend: -He met Glenn Simpson in Aspen last summer -His team prepped Michael Cohen for over 10 hours before that hearing And now this.”
Turns out @RepAdamSchiff knew about the so-called “whistleblower complaint” before it was even filed. This fits a trend:
-He met Glenn Simpson in Aspen last summer
-His team prepped Michael Cohen for over 10 hours before that hearingAnd now this.https://t.co/FtWmsF22nF
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) October 2, 2019
Fox News’ Brit Hume tweeted: “This puts the whole impeachment inquiry in a new light. There’s no getting around the appearance that collusion-truther and Trump antagonist Schiff was a partner in this from the start.”
This puts the whole impeachment inquiry in a new light. There’s no getting around the appearance that collusion-truther and Trump antagonist Schiff was a partner in this from the start. https://t.co/x9JvHg9yL4
— Brit Hume (@brithume) October 2, 2019
The Trump campaign tweeted: “BREAKING –> Adam Schiff colluded with the ‘whistle-blower’ ahead of time. Collusion! This is all an orchestrated, political SCAM!”
BREAKING –> Adam Schiff colluded with the “whistle-blower” ahead of time.
Collusion! This is all an orchestrated, political SCAM! pic.twitter.com/hp7ASbDedN
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 2, 2019
Republican strategist Arthur Schwartz tweeted: “He lied because he was trying to stage a coup. FLASHBACK: Adam Schiff lies & insists: ‘We have not spoken directly with the whistleblower.’ #FullOfSchiff”
He lied because he was trying to stage a coup.
FLASHBACK: Adam Schiff lies & insists: “We have not spoken directly with the whistleblower.” #FullOfSchiff pic.twitter.com/zBAgTErXmK
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) October 2, 2019
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) tweeted: “I’m glad that the question I asked last week has been answered. As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I’m extremely concerned with our Chairman’s increasingly reckless behavior.”
I’m glad that the question I asked last week has been answered. As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I’m extremely concerned with our Chairman’s increasingly reckless behavior. https://t.co/4WCV6J4hGq
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) October 2, 2019