House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said the testimony the top three intelligence officials gave to Congress could undermine President Trump’s case for declaring a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border.
“The fact that none of the intel chiefs brought up a threat at the southern border as being one of the most pressing threats facing the country, that could be Exhibit A in a challenge to any kind of a declaration of a national emergency,” Mr. Schiff, California Democrat, said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
On Tuesday, CIA Director Gina Haspel, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray warned the Senate Intelligence committee about threats from Russia, China, the Islamic State and North Korea but did not mention the crisis on the border.
Mr. Schiff took the lack of focus on the border as proof that “none of the intelligence agencies think” there is an emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border, as the president has often argued.
Mr. Trump is still considering declaring a national emergency and using the military to build the border wall should Congress fail to come to a deal about funding for a wall.
“I think, if anything, it is going to undermine that legal case that the president may try to make, that hearing yesterday could be a central exhibit,” Mr. Schiff said.
The president slammed his intelligence officials for the statements they made Tuesday about Iran complying with the 2015 Iran deal.
“The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran. They are wrong!” he tweeted Wednesday.
Mr. Trump also sent out several tweets that countered their testimonies about threats from North Korea and the Islamic State.
Mr. Schiff condemned the president for his comments, saying Mr. Trump’s disagreement is dangerous.
“It is a credit to our intelligence agencies that they continue to provide rigorous and realistic analyses of the threats we face,” he tweeted. “It’s deeply dangerous that the White House isn’t listening.”
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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