Justin Amash Archives

July 7, 2019August 20, 2019

Rep. Justin Amash: High-Level Republicans Thanked Me For Supporting Impeachment

Rep. Justin Amash

During an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union this morning, Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.) told Jake Tapper that many “high-level” Republican officials have privately thanked him for his support for impeaching Donald Trump.

“When I was discussing impeachment I had fellow colleagues and other Republicans, high-level officials, contacting me and saying thank you for what you’re doing,” said Amash. “So, there are lots of Republicans out there saying these things privately, but they’re not saying it publicly, and I think that’s a problem for our country.”

Amash announced last week that he was leaving the GOP to become an Independent in the House.

Rep. Amash on the responses from fellow Republicans: “There are lots of Republicans out there who are saying … things privately, but they’re not saying it publicly. And I think that’s a problem for our country … the Republican Party [and] the Democratic Party” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/sD0CbNOx89

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 7, 2019

July 5, 2019August 20, 2019

News Round-Up: July 5, 2019

David Harbour in Netflix’s Stranger Things (screen cap)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Dad Bod alert: Who’s a fan of the Netflix’s Stranger Things? Season four was released last night and folks think series star David Harbour (above screen cap) is the new poster guy for ‘dad bods.’ #woof

• CNN: Adding homophobia to racism, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents made a migrant hold an “I Like Men” sign as an anti-gay punishment.

• Washington Post: Congressman Justin Amash, who represents Michigan’s 3rd congressional district, has been one of the few Republicans to publicly criticize Donald Trump, and actually side with Democrats in calls for impeachment proceedings. In an op-ed yesterday, he quit the GOP and announced he now identifies as an Independent.

• NY Times: Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) surprisingly raised less than $12 million for her presidential campaign in the past three months; very disappointing considering her very strong debate performance last week. The figure pales in comparison to her primary rivals: Mayor Pete Buttigieg pulled in $24.8 million in the second quarter, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. reports $21.5 million in campaign donations, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) took in $18 million.

• Gay Star News: Out musician Aaron Porter says his latest single, “Sorry,” comes from a very personal place for him. And, like life, it slowly evolved until coming to fruition.

“I was in a place of frustration and the track we created was a slow piano-led ballad, he told GSN. “I feel like the song has grown as I have dealt with my situation, and now it’s a fierce pop banger and I feel alive when I sing it.”

Check out the new R&B/pop bop below.

May 28, 2019August 20, 2019

GOP Congressman Says Attorney General “Deliberately Misrepresented” Mueller Report

Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan

Rep. Justin Amash surprised some folks earlier the month when he became the first Republican in Congress to call for impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump.

Today, Amash issued a lengthy 25-tweet statement outlining how he views Attorney General William Barr “misrepresented key aspects” of the Special Counsel’s report.

Attorney General Barr has deliberately misrepresented key aspects of Mueller’s report and decisions in the investigation, which has helped further the president’s false narrative about the investigation.

— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 28, 2019

After receiving Mueller’s report, Barr wrote and released a letter on March 24 describing Barr’s own decision not to indict the president for obstruction of justice. That letter selectively quotes and summarizes points in Mueller’s report in misleading ways.

— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 28, 2019

Mueller’s report says he chose not to decide whether Trump broke the law because there’s an official DoJ opinion that indicting a sitting president is unconstitutional, and because of concerns about impacting the president’s ability to govern and pre-empting possible impeachment.

— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 28, 2019

Barr’s letter doesn’t mention those issues when explaining why Mueller chose not to make a prosecutorial decision. He instead selectively quotes Mueller in a way that makes it sound—falsely—as if Mueller’s decision stemmed from legal/factual issues specific to Trump’s actions.

— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 28, 2019

But, in fact, Mueller finds considerable evidence that several of Trump’s actions detailed in the report meet the elements of obstruction, and Mueller’s constitutional and prudential issues with indicting a sitting president would preclude indictment regardless of what he found.

— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 28, 2019

Amash goes on to cite Donald Trump Jr.’s Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer and the inability of Robert Mueller to secure a proper interview with Donald Trump as concerning issues in the Special Counsel’s report that Barr seems to have obfuscated.

(h/t JoeMyGod)