A Republican senator was shouted down for defending the attorney general who won’t investigate a Russian oligarch’s spending on the wedding of the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr.
“The View” co-host Ana Navarro confronted Sen. Thom Tillis(R-NC) on the ABC talk show Monday over his vote to confirm Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Tillis, who is retiring from the Senate, appeared on the show to promote his new book, “How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents,” ABC11 reported.
Earlier in the segment, co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin pointed out that Tillis calls his vote to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “the biggest regret” of his career in the book.
“I don’t know if he’ll be impeached. I hope he gets fired,” Tillis said of Hegseth.
“I like you, and I think you say a lot of truth. But you kind of break my heart,” Navarro told him.
“I feel you were very inconsistent in this book. Because on the one hand, you go through all of the reasons why Hegseth was unqualified. You go through all of the reasons why Noem was unqualified,” she said, referring to Kristi Noem, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
“You kept calling her, like, an unqualified dog killer, and yet you voted for them,” Navarro added.
“Those are true!” Tillis shot back.
“OK. Then you regretted the Hegseth vote,” Navarro said.
“Yep,” Tillis replied.
“But you just voted to confirm Todd Blanche, who, in the book, you say you objected to the bogus investigation he reopened on [former FBI Director] James Comey and his involvement in a reparations fund for the January 6 people,” Navarro said.
“So you know you’re voting for people who are rubber stamps and unqualified, but you keep doing it, Thom!” she continued.
“Todd Blanche — Blanche is one of the key reasons why Jay Powell is still on the Federal Reserve Board. Blanche is one of the key reasons why the payout pot for punks is dead!” Tillis fired back.
Tillis was referring to Federal Reserve Board member Jerome Powell and to a $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate people who say the government unfairly targeted them. Blanche signed the May deal that created the fund, The Washington Post reported.
Blanche rescinded it in writing in August after Tillis and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) withheld support for his nomination, Federal News Network reported.
That order left the underlying settlement intact, so the fund could still be revived, according to the Tax Law Center.
“In politics, you’ve got to play the hand that’s dealt you. And I have no doubt in my mind that Todd Blanche is the most qualified person, as his former defense counsel, to try and give the president honest, upward feedback,” Tillis continued.
“Oh, come on!” Navarro shouted.
“100%!” Tillis insisted.
“He doesn’t even want to look at… There’s nothing to look at when a Russian oligarch just paid for Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding,” Navarro said.
“Yeah. Well…” Tillis began.
“And he’s saying there’s nothing here to see! … So he’s not giving Donald Trump any pushback! None of them are!” Navarro cut in.
Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars toward Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding celebrations in the Bahamas, ProPublica reported last month.
“Am I investigating what?” Blanche asked when reporters questioned him about the payments last month, according to Meduza.
The president later said his son had repaid Kremlev, though neither the White House nor the Trump Organization had provided evidence, ABC News reported.
“The only difference between you and I is I’ve had those discussions, and I’ve seen the work, and I stand behind my decision on Blanche,” Tillis told Navarro on the show.
“And then you regret it!” Navarro retorted.
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