Rep. Auchincloss Responds to Trump’s Chaos
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How are Trump’s cabinet members handling Democratic cross‑examination?
So how are Donald Trump's cabinet members responding to the scorching cross-examination by Democratic Congress members? What they're doing now is just not answering the questions at all and answering different questions, literally giving the middle finger to Congress. But MAGA Mike Johnson is okay with it because MAGA Mike Johnson doesn't even really think the House of Representatives should exist at all. He believes it should just exist. for whatever Donald Trump wants to do with it. So much for co-equal branches of government. So let me show you some of this recent Democratic cross-examination of Donald Trump's Attorney General, Pam Bondi. So you have Democratic Congress member Morrell, and he's cross-examining Pam Bondi about a decision by the DOJ
to construe Donald Trump's pardon for January 6th insurrectionists to also include all of their other criminal conduct in most cases. So if Donald Trump pardoned you for being an insurrectionist, any other kind of related conduct. If the FBI discovered that you were involved in other crimes under the Trump DOJ, by and large, you get a pardon for the other crimes as well. So a fair question to ask the attorney general. Watch what took place. Let's
play it. In addition to my role here. The committee that I serve on as an authorizer oversees capital security as well as federal elections, so I'm closely following the aftermath of January 6th. Recently, several defendants who received presidential pardons related to that day are now arguing in court that the pardon covers crimes like, for instance, illegal firearm possession discovered in a search of an individual's home in California months after January 6th. What's your position on whether the pardons cover these separate offenses?
The pardon power rests with the president, not the Department of Justice, and some of that is pending litigation, and I cannot discuss pending litigation.
Well, I'm not asking you about who has the right to a pardon. I think as the Department of Justice in February wrote, the pardon is an act of grace which removes the punishment from a crime a person has committed. It further said, in its effect, the granting of a pardon is in no sense the overturning of a judgment of conviction. It is an executive action that mitigates or sets aside punishment. So as the chief law enforcement officer, what's your opinion, not the president's power, whether he can offer a pardon, that's pretty clear in the Constitution. But for crimes committed unrelated to January 6th, would you suggest that the pardons would cover activities or crimes potentially committed outside of that by the same person?
Well, I don't know if you're referring to Joe Biden pardoning his son after he said he would not pardon Hunter Biden.
No, I actually referred to January 6th. I'm sorry. All
the sentences that the people that were on death row, I've met with those families.
All
of those sentences were commuted.
What did Pam Bondi say when questioned about the January 6 pardons?
I'm not going to comment on pardons on either side of the aisle.
So, well, I'm not asking about either side. I'm asking you're the chief law enforcement officer in the United States. You have a responsibility. directly, be sworn out to the Constitution, not the president. Want to know what your views are on the extent to which pardons cover potential crimes committed by individuals who have been pardoned, but unrelated to January 6th.
Do you mean the ones that were done by the auto pen? I'm not going to discuss anything
that could or not be pending litigation. Mr. Chairman, I respectfully, you know, Ms. DeLauro accused you of filibustering. I think that's the height of filibustering. This is a serious, serious topic. And for you to suggest that you don't have an opinion or to divert to other things that had nothing to do with January 6th pardons, I think is frankly demeaning to your responsibilities and your job. With that, I'll yield back.
Next, you have Democratic Congresswoman Dean, and she cross-examines Donald Trump's Attorney General Pam Bondi about her ties to the Qatari government and her taking huge amounts of money from the Qatari government and not disclosing it during her confirmation hearing.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
How are Trump’s cabinet members handling Democratic cross‑examination?
0:00–3:02
2
What did Pam Bondi say when questioned about the January 6 pardons?
3:02–6:16
3
Did the DOJ say the Trump pardons cover unrelated crimes?
6:16–19:59
4
Was Pam Bondi registered as a foreign agent for Qatar?
19:59–20:56