House Intel Chair: ‘Democrats Aren’t Doing a Serious Investigation’

House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) accused the Democrats of failing to perform “a serious investigation” into any collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump’s associates during an interview Wednesday on “The Laura Ingraham Show.”

Nunes, who stepped aside from that particular investigation while the Office of Congressional Ethics investigates whether he improperly disclosed classified information from that probe, said he withdrew because of “the constant attacks on me” and the Democrats’ attempts to make him “the face of this investigation.” But as his colleagues carry on without him, Nunes offered some harsh words for the Democrats on the committee.

“There’s no question we’ve gone past the fake-news realm into another galaxy.”

“The Democrats aren’t doing a serious investigation here. Since I created the task force, put three members on the Republican side on the task force, it’s been about two months. Guess how many interviews the task force has done? Zero,” Nunes said.

Nunes noted Republicans have continually tried to schedule interviews for persons of interest to testify before the committee. In particular, the committee originally scheduled former campaign adviser Carter Page to testify on June 7. But the meeting subsequently was canceled due to Democratic resistance, despite Page’s willingness to testify.

“I don’t know how you go around for 60 days and have no interviews. And at the same time, you have every day, you know, there are some Democrats somewhere on some TV station or radio show or newspaper claiming that they have ‘more than circumstantial evidence now,'” Nunes said. “Well, they have more than circumstantial evidence? I haven’t seen it, and it hasn’t come from any interviews because we haven’t done any interviews yet.”

“So, you know, so if you really want to get to the bottom of the Russia — whatever you think it may be — shouldn’t you go out and interview people of interest that you think may have been colluding with the Russians?” Nunes continued. “And if you’re not doing that, then what kind of investigation are you actually doing?”

The House Intelligence Committee chairman noted that he had warned his committee and the Obama administration over a year ago that the Russians were intent on tampering with the then-upcoming 2016 U.S. elections. But they all “downplayed” his comments, Nunes said, and showed little interest until former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton lost.

“So then you lose an election, then you say you want to investigate Russia, you leak what is supposedly classified information, all over The Washington Post and New York Times, that is all to damage this president?” Nunes said. “And then, when it comes time to actually investigate, you don’t want to do interviews? I don’t know what conclusion you could draw from this other than these are people who are not accepting the results of the election.”

When Ingraham asked about the status of the investigation into the “unmaskers” who leaked sensitive information concerning Trump and his associates to the press, Nunes said it is “ongoing,” even though the NSA, CIA and FBI are “slow-rolling” the process.

“The unmaskings are being slow-rolled by the agencies — surprise, surprise,” Nunes said. “We’re getting in a position here shortly that we’re probably going to have to subpoena the agencies to send us all of the unmasking that political actors in the previous administration, the Obama administration, did what appears to be on members of the Trump transition team. That investigation is ongoing. I’m leading it.”

And as the Democrats continue to balk and obstruct Trump’s legislative agenda, and as the mainstream media elites and pundits push their negative narratives and unsubstantiated theories across the country, Nunes insisted it all boils down to a refusal to accept the 2016 presidential election’s outcome.

“This is the first time in modern history in the United States of America … that you have one political party is refusing to accept the results of the election,” Nunes said.

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While the congressional Republicans struggle to push forward Trump’s legislative agenda, health care reform and tax reform, Nunes urged everyone to stay “on message.”

“The president, he’s got to get on message also,” Nunes said. “And I know, look, he’s definitely under attack by the media. Every day he’s got his hands full. But there is nothing more important than us getting fundamental health care changes to this country done, fixed across the finish line, signed by the president.”

Tax reform is also a priority “so we can improve the economy and once and for all change the tax code as we know it,” Nunes said.

As Trump’s supporters’ and Republican voters’ frustration mounts, Nunes begged them to stick with the party.

“The bottom line is that our base will have to get out and support us no matter what happens,” Nunes said. “And I think if the base sees a continual attack … the president is under attack constantly. So that could be one thing if our base says, ‘OK. We’re not happy with everything the Republicans, Trump, etc. have done. But we understand that 90 percent of the media spend all their time attacking the president of the United States, Donald Trump, and Republicans in Congress.'”

“They are really upset with the mainstream media like I’ve never seen before,” Nunes said, adding that the media “deserve it.”

“There’s no question we’ve gone past the fake-news realm into another galaxy,” Nunes said.