The White House Will Now Refer Questions About Russia To Trump’s Outside Attorney

mai 31, 2017

Big Note: Spicer on Russia probes: “Going forward all questions on these matters will be referred to outside counsel.” (via @MSNBC) pic.twitter.com/cvZX8sNtDO

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 31, 2017

Today’s White House press briefing was a notable for a number of reasons: video of it was not broadcast, leaving it to the curious listener’s imagination how miserable press secretary Sean Spicer looked; content-wise, Spicer made the bizarre claim (or weird joke) that President Trump’s “covfefe” tweet was a hidden message that “The President and a small group of people understand; and finally, Spicer said that going forward, questions regarding the Russia investigation should be addressed to Trump’s personal counsel Marc Kasowitz, who, one can assume, will not be offering daily press briefings. Huh.

During the briefing, Spicer is asked that since that former FBI director James Comey is prepared to testify that President Trump pressured him to drop the investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn, “Did the president engage in obstruction of justice in repeated meetings with James Comey?”

Spicer hems before dropping what sounds a lot like a bombshell.

“Our job, we are focused on the president’s agenda and all, going forward all questions on these matters will be referred to outside counsel Marc Kasowitz.”

The important take away from this is, of course, that Spicer did not elaborate or explain what was covered by the phrase “on these matters.” Does that refer simply to questions regarding potential obstruction of justice charges the president could face stemming from Comey’s allegation that Trump asked him to stop the investigation into Michael Flynn, or are all Russia inquiry questions now the purview of Kasowitz and the team of outside lawyers who Trump is compiling to combat the allegations?

Surely, Spicer will clarify in no time.

(via CNN)