SHOCKER: Even before Trump became president, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy knew Donald Trump had a Russia problem, and they swore themselves to secrecy. Sadly for them and the good of America, The Washington Post got a hold of the tape.
House majority leader to colleagues in 2016: ‘I think Putin pays’ Trump
The Washington Post released a shocking story about statements by both House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. Republicans, the party that loves to wrap itself in the flag and question the patriotism of others turns out to be a sham.
The newspaper’s Adam Entous wrote the following.
KIEV, Ukraine — A month before Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination, one of his closest allies in Congress — House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy — made a politically explosive assertion in a private conversation on Capitol Hill with his fellow GOP leaders: that Trump could be the beneficiary of payments from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump,” McCarthy (R-Calif.) said, according to a recording of the June 15, 2016, exchange, which was listened to and verified by The Washington Post. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is a Californian Republican known in Congress as a fervent defender of Putin and Russia.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) immediately interjected, stopping the conversation from further exploring McCarthy’s assertion, and swore the Republicans present to secrecy.
But it got worse. The comment came after news about Russian hackers penetrating the DNC’s computer network. The piece continues.
Before the conversation, McCarthy and Ryan had emerged from separate talks at the Capitol with Ukrainian Prime Minister Vladimir Groysman, who had described a Kremlin tactic of financing populist politicians to undercut Eastern European democratic institutions.
News had just broken the day before in The Washington Post that Russian government hackers had penetrated the computer network of the Democratic National Committee, prompting McCarthy to shift the conversation from Russian meddling in Europe to events closer to home.
Some of the lawmakers laughed at McCarthy’s comment. Then McCarthy quickly added: “Swear to God.”
Ryan instructed his Republican lieutenants to keep the conversation private, saying: “No leaks. . . . This is how we know we’re a real family here.”
The transcript of the audio makes it clear. It illustrates that rank and file Republicans always knew Donald Trump and Russia had some inappropriate relationship.
President Trump’s possible collusion with Russia is a serious matter. The Russia investigation is likely to suck the air out of the news cycles for the next several weeks. While this is occurring, while most Americans will be forced to see this charade incessantly on TV, on radio, and in newspapers, it is imperative that the citizenry remains vigilant. The Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell cabal will be working towards destroying health care, instituting tax cuts that transfer the wealth of the citizens a the rich few, crippling net neutrality, reversing environmental regulations, and making draconian changes to laws that protect the American worker and much more.
It is important that even at this time where the Russia investigation seems paramount that Americans join Indivisible organizations in your areas, OurRevolution, Brand New Congress, and many other groups that keep the pressure on, on our political representatives. We must maintain an active resistance. #RESIST.
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