It’s no surprise that House Republicans leaped to Donald Trump’s defense after news of his indictment broke late Thursday. What was striking, though, was how many elected GOP officials now sound like Trump.
“Political Persecution,” Trump alleged in his statement.
“Political persecution,” parroted Reps. Diana Harshbarger (Tenn.), Josh Brecheen (Okla.), Claudia Tenney (N.Y.), and Paul Gosar (Ariz.).
“Blatant Election Interference,” Trump announced.
“This is unprecedented election interference,” echoed GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik (N.Y.).
“An attempt to interfere in our Presidential election,” echoed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.).
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“Witch hunt,” complained Trump.
“Witch hunt,” repeated Reps. George Santos (N.Y.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Ralph Norman (S.C.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.) and more, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Minn.).
“Weaponizing our justice system,” Trump inveighed.
“Weaponizing,” chorused Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Reps. David Rouzer (N.C.), Austin Scott (Ga.), Rich McCormick (Ga.) and more.
Trump blamed George Soros. Reps. Wesley Hunt (Tex.), Mike Johnson (La.), Harshbarger, Gosar and Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.) and Ron Johnson (Wis.) blamed Soros.
They aped Trump in other ways, too.
In their vulgarity:
“Enough of this witch hunt bulls---,” tweeted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.)
“This is complete and utter bulls---,” asserted Rep. Brian Mast (Fla.).
In using ALL CAPS:
“WITCH HUNT!” screamed Rep. Ronny Jackson (Tex.) and “Alvin Bragg is a NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT.”
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In demanding vengeance:
“Hunter Biden: Call your lawyers,” suggested Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.).
“The House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account,” declared McCarthy.
“When Trump wins, THESE PEOPLE WILL PAY!!” tweeted Jackson.
In voicing deep-state conspiracy theories:
“The Regime occupying our country and systematically killing America is most afraid of President Donald J. Trump,” warned Gosar.
And in stoking paranoia among the unstable:
“If they can come for him, they can come for anyone,” tweeted Rep. Andy Biggs (Ariz.).
Of course, we hardly need reminders that Trump still dominates the GOP. Earlier this week, the House Administration Committee held a hearing where lawmakers and witnesses not only echoed Trump’s “big lie” from 2020 but alleged, without evidence, that there was “government voter suppression” followed by a “coverup” in a 2022 House race in Pennsylvania that Democrats won.
Still, the Republicans’ mimicry (conscious or unconscious) of Trump should put one thing into sharper focus. The debate about whether this helps or hurts Trump’s fight for the GOP nomination is beside the point. When it comes to any would-be Republican standard-bearer, the mantra is clear: We are all Trumpians now.
**
After three months on the job, House Republicans have so far failed to address the top issues facing the country. But at least they have addressed the No. 1 issue.
The House Oversight Committee hauled D.C. government officials before Congress this week to grill them on what Republicans call the “crisis” of crime in the capital, one of approximately 50,000 “crises” the GOP majority has identified. And Boebert was just bursting to release a stream of invective.
“Did you or did you not decriminalize public urination in Washington, D.C.?” the Colorado Republican demanded of a witness, D.C. Council member Charles Allen.
Allen looked puzzled. “No, we did not,” he replied.
“Did you lead the charge to decriminalize public urination in Washington, D.C.?” Boebert demanded.
“No, ma’am,” Allen answered.
Boebert persisted. “Did you ever vote in favor of decriminalizing public urination?”
Allen said he voted to keep public urination as a criminal offense.
“We have records that show you were in favor of removing that criminal offense and allowing public urination!” Boebert charged.
The councilman explained that, though the D.C. criminal-code reform commission proposed making public urination a civil offense, the council voted to maintain it as a criminal offense.
Thus did the floodgates open on the Great Public Pee Pee Debate of 2023.
“I continue to be amazed by what the majority chooses to spend our limited time on,” remarked Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.). Turning to the witnesses, she joked: “You have anything additional you want to say about public urination? Now’s your time.”
Boebert blurted out: “I do!”
There was laughter in the committee room. “No, not you,” Balint said.
Boebert couldn’t hold it. “I do have something else to say!”
Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) did, too. “You’ve got to decide how many times a person’s done something and how in-public it is, but I’m not sure public urination should be criminally charged,” he opined, before adding that the D.C. officials “don’t want me to tell you how to do your job.”
Yet that’s exactly what Republicans have been doing as they devote their time in power to micromanaging D.C. and its criminal code.
When it comes to ending the near-daily plague of mass shootings in this country, Republicans have decided “we’re not gonna fix it,” as Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee, site of the latest school massacre, put it. “Criminals are going to be criminals.” But maybe — just maybe — they can hike the penalty for peeing on the streets of the nation’s capital!
“Do you think parents,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) asked, “are worried about public urination in Washington, D.C., or do you think they’re worried about sending their kid to school and their kid not coming home?”
“Political Persecution,” Trump alleged in his statement.
“Political persecution,” parroted Reps. Diana Harshbarger (Tenn.), Josh Brecheen (Okla.), Claudia Tenney (N.Y.), and Paul Gosar (Ariz.).
“Blatant Election Interference,” Trump announced.
“This is unprecedented election interference,” echoed GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik (N.Y.).
“An attempt to interfere in our Presidential election,” echoed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.).
Follow Dana Milbank's opinionsFollow
“Witch hunt,” complained Trump.
“Witch hunt,” repeated Reps. George Santos (N.Y.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Ralph Norman (S.C.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.) and more, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Minn.).
“Weaponizing our justice system,” Trump inveighed.
“Weaponizing,” chorused Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Reps. David Rouzer (N.C.), Austin Scott (Ga.), Rich McCormick (Ga.) and more.
Trump blamed George Soros. Reps. Wesley Hunt (Tex.), Mike Johnson (La.), Harshbarger, Gosar and Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.) and Ron Johnson (Wis.) blamed Soros.
They aped Trump in other ways, too.
In their vulgarity:
“Enough of this witch hunt bulls---,” tweeted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.)
“This is complete and utter bulls---,” asserted Rep. Brian Mast (Fla.).
In using ALL CAPS:
“WITCH HUNT!” screamed Rep. Ronny Jackson (Tex.) and “Alvin Bragg is a NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT.”
Press Enter to skip to end of carousel
In demanding vengeance:
“Hunter Biden: Call your lawyers,” suggested Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.).
“The House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account,” declared McCarthy.
“When Trump wins, THESE PEOPLE WILL PAY!!” tweeted Jackson.
In voicing deep-state conspiracy theories:
“The Regime occupying our country and systematically killing America is most afraid of President Donald J. Trump,” warned Gosar.
And in stoking paranoia among the unstable:
“If they can come for him, they can come for anyone,” tweeted Rep. Andy Biggs (Ariz.).
Of course, we hardly need reminders that Trump still dominates the GOP. Earlier this week, the House Administration Committee held a hearing where lawmakers and witnesses not only echoed Trump’s “big lie” from 2020 but alleged, without evidence, that there was “government voter suppression” followed by a “coverup” in a 2022 House race in Pennsylvania that Democrats won.
Still, the Republicans’ mimicry (conscious or unconscious) of Trump should put one thing into sharper focus. The debate about whether this helps or hurts Trump’s fight for the GOP nomination is beside the point. When it comes to any would-be Republican standard-bearer, the mantra is clear: We are all Trumpians now.
**
After three months on the job, House Republicans have so far failed to address the top issues facing the country. But at least they have addressed the No. 1 issue.
The House Oversight Committee hauled D.C. government officials before Congress this week to grill them on what Republicans call the “crisis” of crime in the capital, one of approximately 50,000 “crises” the GOP majority has identified. And Boebert was just bursting to release a stream of invective.
“Did you or did you not decriminalize public urination in Washington, D.C.?” the Colorado Republican demanded of a witness, D.C. Council member Charles Allen.
Allen looked puzzled. “No, we did not,” he replied.
“Did you lead the charge to decriminalize public urination in Washington, D.C.?” Boebert demanded.
“No, ma’am,” Allen answered.
Boebert persisted. “Did you ever vote in favor of decriminalizing public urination?”
Allen said he voted to keep public urination as a criminal offense.
“We have records that show you were in favor of removing that criminal offense and allowing public urination!” Boebert charged.
The councilman explained that, though the D.C. criminal-code reform commission proposed making public urination a civil offense, the council voted to maintain it as a criminal offense.
Thus did the floodgates open on the Great Public Pee Pee Debate of 2023.
“I continue to be amazed by what the majority chooses to spend our limited time on,” remarked Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.). Turning to the witnesses, she joked: “You have anything additional you want to say about public urination? Now’s your time.”
Boebert blurted out: “I do!”
There was laughter in the committee room. “No, not you,” Balint said.
Boebert couldn’t hold it. “I do have something else to say!”
Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) did, too. “You’ve got to decide how many times a person’s done something and how in-public it is, but I’m not sure public urination should be criminally charged,” he opined, before adding that the D.C. officials “don’t want me to tell you how to do your job.”
Yet that’s exactly what Republicans have been doing as they devote their time in power to micromanaging D.C. and its criminal code.
When it comes to ending the near-daily plague of mass shootings in this country, Republicans have decided “we’re not gonna fix it,” as Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee, site of the latest school massacre, put it. “Criminals are going to be criminals.” But maybe — just maybe — they can hike the penalty for peeing on the streets of the nation’s capital!
“Do you think parents,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) asked, “are worried about public urination in Washington, D.C., or do you think they’re worried about sending their kid to school and their kid not coming home?”