Senate

Schumer challenges Trump: If Comey memo is wrong, prove it

by Jordain Carney - 05/17/17 11:09 AM ET

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Wednesday that if President Trump didn’t try to shut down an investigation into a former adviser, he should prove it.

“Providing the Congress the tapes and the memos may be the only way for this administration to credibly make a case to a justifiably skeptical American public about its version of the story. … The president says what Comey said was wrong. Prove it,” Schumer said.

The New York Times reported late Tuesday that Trump tried to get Comey to end an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was fired after he misled Vice President Pence and other White House officials over his conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S.

The White House has denied the allegations. Schumer added on Wednesday that Trump could easily prove that the administration is telling the truth.

{mosads}”If Trump is right, he’ll have no problem releasing memos, tapes, transcripts that collaborate his story. But if he fails to release them, the American people will justifiably tend to side with Mr. Comey, not what the president had to say,” Schumer said.

The New York Times report is the latest White House scandal to roil Congress since Comey’s firing last week, which largely caught lawmakers off guard. The Washington Post also reported that Trump gave classified information to top Russian officials during an Oval Office meeting last week.

Schumer added on Wednesday that the series of controversies has “shaken my confidence in this administration’s competence and credibility.”

He also reiterated his call for a special prosecutor to take over the investigation into Russia’s election meddling, warning Republicans that “history is watching.”

“To my friends on the other side of the aisle, America needs you. America needs you now. America needs you to help pressure the Deputy Attorney General to name a special prosecutor, to compel this White House to turn over the transcripts and tapes to Congress,” he said.

Tags Chuck Schumer