President Donald Trump's first State of the Union address has been overshadowed by controversies involving him, the FBI, and the investigation into Russian election interference.
On Monday, reports emerged that FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe will soon leave his post after months of criticism from Trump and other Republicans. That same day, the House Intelligence Committee voted to authorize the release of a memo from the office of Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., that allegedly accuses the FBI of abusing its surveillance authority, while also voting against allowing a memo written by Democrats refuting the GOP memo from being made public.
An unnamed GOP strategist told The Hill that the decision to release the Nunes memo is "utterly irresponsible," and that conservatives has essentially decided "to release a memo that trashes the FBI, which the FBI has not even seen or had a chance to respond to. It looks like a hit job."
FBI Director Christopher Wray has been shown the memo, but expressed "concerns" about it, according to Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., on Monday.
Former Republican National Committee communications director Doug Heye added that although these events "could be a mild distraction, and certainly there could be bigger ramifications" in the future, "nothing overshadows the State of the Union. There is no annual event short of the Super Bowl that dominates coverage like a State of the Union."
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