A former Reagan administration official railed against Republicans over the weekend for continuing to back President Trump as House Democrats pursue an impeachment inquiry.
During a segment on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Linda Chavez, who previously served as the White House director of public liaison, said Republicans were “absolutely abrogating their duty” as tensions escalate over the impeachment inquiry.
“It’s like the invasion of the body snatchers,” Chavez said. “I don’t know who these people are. I mean, they have so changed their tune. This is really serious,” she said.
{mosads}Chavez, who noted during the segment that she had previously identified as a Democrat before serving under former President Reagan, said she used to believe that “the Republican Party was devoted to the truth, that we believed in ideals.”
“We were devoted to the Constitution,” Chavez said. “And what I see happening now is people who are absolutely abrogating their duty.”
“They are putting politics first and they’re scared. They’re scared of Donald Trump,” she continued.
Her remarks echo similar sentiments from former CIA chief John Brennan, who said during a segment on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that Republican senators are “running scared” of Trump as talk of impeachment continues.
Brennan also called out Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) over his earlier appearance on the same program. Johnson and host Chuck Todd got into a heated back-and-forth during which Todd accused the senator 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 later.
Brennan also said that Trump transformed into a “typical bully,” adding 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 also said. “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.”