President Donald Trump should “focus” on Russia’s meddling in the U.S. election, and let the “second prong” of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation on collusion with Moscow “play out,” Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said Sunday.
In an interview on CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” Gowdy said Trump should hold Russian President Vladimir Putin’s feet to the fire in the wake of last week’s indictments against 12 Russian spies.
“What I would tell the president is no American has been indicted for conspiring to hack the [Democratic National Committee],” he said. “But Russia did attack us. So focus on the first prong of that Mueller jurisdiction. Let the second prong play out.”
“Your first request of Vladimir Putin needs to be: ‘Tell us which airport we can pick up the 25 Russians that tried to interfere with the fundamentals of our democracy’,” Gowdy added.
Still, Gowdy defended Trump’s concern about the bias of those who investigate him.
“[Former FBI Director] Jim Comey thought that impeachment was too good” for Trump, he said. “[Former CIA head] John Brennan says [he] should be in the dustbin of history.”
He added that FBI agent Peter Strzok also suggested in emails to his girlfriend, FBI lawyer Lisa Page, that Trump “would be destabilizing for the country and promised to stop [his] candidacy.”
“If you were being investigated by people with that level of bias and animus against you, I think you would be concerned, as well,” he said.
Gowdy also bemoaned the public hearing on Capitol Hill with Strzok.
“Our private hearing was much more constructive than the public hearing,” he said. “Public hearings are a circus. That's why I don't like to do them. I don't do many of them. I mean, it's a freak show. The private interviews are much more constructive.”