Rep. Debbie Dingell: Republicans Need to Speak Up On Trump, Russia
“My Republican colleagues are the ones we need to hear from. We cannot take this on in a partisan way.”
Just a week after President Donald Trump’s firing of former FBI director James Comey, yet another controversy is calling the president’s relationship with the Russian government into question.
The Washington Post reported early Monday morning that Trump revealed highly classified intelligence on the Islamic State to Russian officials during their visit to Washington last week—and despite federal officials’ denial, Trump himself tweeted he had the “absolute right” to share such information. Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson unpacks response to Trump’s actions with Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn), who urges bipartisan vigilance against threats to national security.
Dingell says she was “stunned” by Monday’s news and the extent of apparent Russian influence on the Trump administration and campaign. She says it jeopardizes foreign intelligence and allies. The information Trump shared, the Washington Post reported, had been considered so sensitive that its access was restricted to allies and even high-ranking U.S. officials.
“I cannot tell you how deeply concerned I am by the implications of what may have happened last week,” she says.
Dingell repeatedly criticizes partisan politicking around Trump’s actions as detrimental to both democracy and national security. She calls for heightened scrutiny from Republican politicians in particular.
“We cannot take political shots at each other,” Dingell says. “I’m hoping as I return to Washington that my Republican colleagues are going to ask questions (and) express their concerns. Right now, we have a fundamental responsibility as elected officials to the people that elected us—and that is to keep us safe.”
To hear the full conversation, click on the audio player above.
