Democrats Want Donald Trump’s Interpreter To Testify Before Congress To Find Out What He Told Putin
A Democratic senator has called for Donald Trump’s Russian interpreter, who was the only one with him during his two-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, to testify about what the two world leaders discussed behind closed doors, reports CNN. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, wants the testimony to happen before Congress.
“I’m calling for a hearing with the U.S. interpreter who was present during President Trump’s meeting with Putin to uncover what they discussed privately. This interpreter can help determine what @POTUS shared/promised Putin on our behalf,” Shaheen tweeted Tuesday.
There is growing concern after it was revealed by the Russian government through Russian state media about a new policy in Syria, as reported Tuesday night on The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC.
“The Russian military was eager to start implementing the new plans for Syria that were agreed to yesterday by President Trump and President Putin at their summit,” read Maddow from the statement. She then reacted, “What new plans for Syria? There was no public announcement of any new plan for Syria.” She then added, “How are we going to find out what that plan is? If not, from, I guess, the translator, who is the only other American sitting there…”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen wasn’t the only Democrat who wanted to hear what the translator had to say about the private summit. Rep. Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts also made a call for it in tweets he made about the president on Monday.
“And that was only what we saw on live TV. @realDonaldTrump’s translator should come before Congress and testify as to what was said privately immediately. If Republicans are as outraged as they claim, then issue the subpoena today. 2/2,” Kennedy tweeted.
Republicans are in charge of the witness list for committees on Capitol Hill, and as of now, it is unclear if they would ask for the interpreter to testify.
This comes on the heels of President Trump trying to walk back his statement about not supporting U.S. intelligence reports about the election hacking and instead seeming to believe the word of the Russian president. Trump returned from the Helsinki summit to overwhelming criticism from both sides of the aisle and was trying to minimize the damage by saying that he simply misspoke when appearing to not consider Russia as a possible actor involved in the hacking, as previously reported by the Inquisitr. Yet when he walked it back, he then added that it could have been others too.
