President Donald Trump's attacks on House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., were "emotional" because daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, are under investigation as advisers in his administration, Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Mich., a committee member, said Tuesday.
"The president reacts when there are questions about those who are closest to him, including his family," Lawrence told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "If you ask me, why he's giving such emotional responses is because his family, his children, who he put in office, who are employees of the federal government are being questioned and oversight is being applied to them as well."
Both Kushner and Ivanka Trump have top security clearances and travel overseas with the president, and "we know they have not divested of the company business," Lawrence said.
Further, when the committee looked into Russian interference in the national election system, "we know for a fact that his family was directly involved in carrying messages back and forth," she claimed. "There has been absolutely no pushback or denial of Russian interference from everyone except the president."
Further, when the committee is looking at emoluments and violations . . . "his family comes into play," Lawrence said.
However, there has been "denial after denial" for requests for Kushner and Ivanka to come before the committee, Lawrence said, while the body has been given reports "Russia interfered in our elections and during that process they talked directly to members of this administration which includes the president's family."
She also rejected complaints the committee is picking on the president's family.
"He has employed his children to be part of our government," she said. "Once they took that oath, and once they received top clearance in our government, we are entitled to oversight."