Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation is a “sham investigation” that has created a “witch hunt atmosphere” and is “trying to usurp the power of the presidency,” according to Trump apologist Steve Cortes.
Cortes, a member of President Donald Trump’s Hispanic Advisory Council, suffered a full-on meltdown during a Monday appearance on “CNN Tonight” following reports that FBI officials raided the home and office of Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen. Cortes echoed the president’s anti-FBI rant, expressing shock and dismay at news of the raid.
“This is an outrage!” Cortes exclaimed. “What were we promised by the Mueller probe? We were promised Russia … And what do we end up with here? Sex and a tawdry tale from 12 years ago, far from when Donald Trump ever thought of being in office.”
Host Don Lemon briefly interjected, pointing out that the raid on Cohen’s office was completely separate from the Russia probe.
“That’s disingenuous, Don, let’s be honest,” Cortes said. “Your show and this network for months and months have screamed, ‘Russia, Russia, Russia!’ Guess what? There’s nothing there that connects to President Trump.” He went on to argue that 20 “biased lawyers who hate the president” have poured millions of dollars into investigating Trump’s possible ties to the Russians but still haven’t found anything.
When Lemon noted that many of the folks running the Russia probe are Republicans picked by the president himself, Cortes retorted, “being a Republican hardly means you’re in favor of President Trump.”
“They’re Republicans who can’t stand the president,” he griped. “And by the way, I think the Republicans sadly are as complicit in what is going on now, in terms of these swamp tactics as the Democrats are … This is a sham investigation! This is [Trump’s] own Justice Department trying to usurp the power of the presidency.”
Cortes’ rant was eventually interrupted by political commentator Ana Navarro, who pegged herself as one of those true Republicans who can’t stand Trump because “he’s hijacked the Republican party.” She argued it was appropriate for Cohen to be investigated because one of the things that separates that U.S. from other nations is that no one is above the law — not even the president’s personal attorney.
“I actually marvel at the fact that Donald Trump has gotten as far as he has gotten with his limited intellectual curiosity, vocabulary of about a 4-year-old, and the worst damn lawyer that any of us have ever seen,” Navarro said. “[Cohen] couldn’t even get an NDA executed.”
Fellow panelist Charles Blow then chimed in, speaking about the hoops FBI official would’ve had to jump through for the “witch hunt” claims to be true. He was cut off by Cortes before he could finish his point, however.
“Why are you talking, why does he keep talking?” Blow asked, clearly agitated.
“Tell Trump not to meet up with porn stars while he’s married and drop his trousers and let her spank him with a magazine if he doesn’t want to get caught up in that,” Blow continued. “Keep your pants on!”
