President Trump is facing major backlash for blocking the Democratic response to the GOP surveillance memo from publication after the House Intelligence Committee unanimously voted earlier this week to make the document public.
Trump on Friday blocked the release of the Democratic document, which aims to rebut the Nunes memo alleging that senior FBI and Justice Department officials misused their authority to obtain a surveillance order on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
The decision to not release the memo has sparked fierce criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) both accused Trump of applying a double standard by approving the release of the GOP memo but not the Democratic one.
“The President’s double standard when it comes to transparency is appalling,” Schumer said in a statement.
“The rationale for releasing the Nunes memo, transparency, vanishes when it could show information that’s harmful to him. Millions of Americans are asking one simple question: what is he hiding?”
Pelosi said Trump’s move showed that his decision to release the document authored by staff for House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) last week was “blatantly political.”
“The hypocrisy is on full display. What does the President have to hide?” Pelosi tweeted.
This move by @realDonaldTrump confirms what we have all known for weeks — that his decision to release the #NunesMemo was a blatantly political move made without concern for national security. The hypocrisy is on full display. What does the President have to hide?
— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) February 10, 2018
Republican Congressman Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) blasted President Trump’s decision on Friday not to release the Democratic response to the GOP surveillance memo.
“Both the Republican and Democratic FISA memos should be released,” tweeted Amash, adding: “I’ve read both memos. Neither one endangers national security. The American people deserve the opportunity to read both memos,” he added.
Both the Republican and Democratic #FISA memos should be released. I’ve read both memos. Neither one endangers national security. The American people deserve the opportunity to read both memos.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) February 10, 2018
The GOP memo, crafted by Trump defender Rep. Devin Nunes, accuses FBI and Justice Department officials of surveillance abuse to target the Trump campaign. It was made public last week after Trump decided to declassify it, ignoring a strong FBI recommendation not to publish it.
Trump falsely claimed that the GOP memo “totally vindicates” him in the investigations into whether his campaign colluded with Russia to win the election.
The House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously on Monday to make the Democrats’ response to the memo public, a move supported by numerous lawmakers.
However, Trump would not approve the release of the memo claiming it “contains numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages,” White House counsel Don McGahn announced Friday.
