Brennan: Republican senators ‘running scared’ of president because he ‘comes after them with a vengeance’

by Justine Coleman - 10/06/19 12:00 PM ET

Former CIA chief John Brennan said Republican senators are “running scared” of President Trump as the impeachment inquiry intensifies.

On “Meet the Press,” Brennan called out Chuck Todd’s previous guest, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who Todd accused of not answering his questions to “make Donald Trump feel better here that you’re not criticizing him.”

“Clearly Sen. Johnson is running scared of Donald Trump as are the other Republican senators because if they say anything against him, he comes after them with a vengeance,” Brennan said.

WATCH: Fmr. CIA Director John Brennan says Republican senators are ‘running scared’ of the president. #MTP #IfItsSunday https://t.co/YfUQWHCL5N pic.twitter.com/RE1mTCkSPu

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) October 6, 2019

Brennan said the president has transformed into the “typical bully” and said that “it’s clear that the Republicans in the Senate are just going along.”

“I’ve had many issues with the Democrats over the years,” Brennan told Todd. “But I have never seen anything like the Republicans right now, as far as just misrepresentations of the truth because of what Donald Trump has done.”

{mosads}The former CIA chief said disinformation is “overwhelming and inundating the airwaves,” confusing American citizens as the inquiry continues.

“Until the senior officials of the Republican Party push back against Trump, I think this is going to be a very, very long and difficult fight,” Brennan said.

Most Republicans have stood by the president as the impeachment inquiry has unfolded, saying there was no quid pro quo in Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The House initiated the inquiry following reports of the president’s conversations with Zelensky about investigating former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump’s potential 2020 opponent. Days before the call, the president withheld aid to the country, prompting questions of whether the conversation implied a quid pro quo.