Rep. Thompson reacts to ‘spoiled brat’ Trump losing bid to block docs in insurrection lawsuit
"If you take your issue to court and lose," Thompson told CNN host Chris Cuomo, "then you need to man up and deal with it."
Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson was on air in an interview with Chris Cuomo on CNN when the Democratic congressman learned former President Donald Trump would not be able to block the release of documents from the National Archives related to the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Judge Tanya Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled Thursday, Nov. 9, that the National Archives can turn over documents related to the riot to the select committee established by Congress to review the event.
“I actually have breaking news that you’re gonna want to weigh in on,” Cuomo said during the broadcast of Cuomo Prime Time. “Control room, I don’t think we should take a break. If we have breaking news, we should go with it right now. Congressman Bennie Thompson, help me out with this. We just got word that there is a decision on the situation involving President Trump’s exercise of privilege. Trump will lose this round. Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan has ruled the U.S. House Select Committee should have access to records from his presidency about January 6th.”
According to Mediaite, the CNN host asked Thompson: “How big of a decision is this for you? What do you believe is to be gained from these documents?”
Replied Rep. Thompson, who chairs the select committee: “Well, it’s a big deal.”
“We have the law on our side,” he continued, “and you know, we are a nation of laws. So, if you take your issue to court and lose, then you need to man up and deal with it and not be a spoiled brat. So, I look forward to getting this information. I look forward to our investigators going through it with a fine-toothed comb to make sure that our government was not weaponized against its citizens.”
Politico reports that Trump has attempted to assert executive privilege to block the review of any documents or records from his administration, including files from former chief of staff Mark Meadows, adviser Stephen Miller and deputy counsel Patrick Philbin, as well as White House call and visitor logs related to the eventful “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, the event that was the precursor to the insurrection.
In her ruling, however, Judge Chutkan wrote, “Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President. He retains the right to assert that his records are privileged, but the incumbent President ‘is not constitutionally obliged to honor’ that assertion.”
The Thompson-helmed select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection will be able to utilize Trump’s records to determine if he attempted to weaponize the U.S. government in an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
In a statement regarding the ruling, Thompson wrote, in part, “Along our country’s history, the Executive Branch has provided Congress with testimony and information when it has been in the public interest. This evening’s ruling is consistent with that tradition. And in my view, there couldn’t be a more compelling public interest than getting answers about an attack on our democracy.”
“This decision affirms the importance of the Select Committee’s work to get answers for the American people, recommend changes to the law to strengthen our democracy and help ensure nothing like the attack of January 6th ever happens again,” he added. “The Select Committee’s investigation is moving forward swiftly, and we look forward to receiving these important records from the National Archives.”
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