FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok was called to testify before the House judiciary committee on Thursday and was questioned about his anti-Trump behavior during multiple investigations surrounding the 2016 presidential election.
Republican Texas Rep. John Ratcliffe got into a particularly fierce exchange with the embattled and disgraced FBI agent.
Ratcliffe hammered Strzok for claiming to be unbiased even after showing a clear distaste toward then-candidate Donald Trump during text messages to his colleagues. Ratcliffe asked if the anti-Trump texts were sent on FBI time and on FBI phones. Strzok confirmed that they were — a response that enraged Ratcliffe.
“What you meant to say was ‘except for 50,000 times, hundreds of times of day where I went back and forth expressing my personal opinions about stopping Trump and impeaching Trump on official FBI phones, on official FBI time,'” Ratcliffe vented. “Other than that you never cross that line.”
Ratcliffe continued: “I’m sure there are 13,000 FBI agents out there beaming with pride at how clearly you have drawn that line. Are you starting to understand why some folks out there don’t believe a word you say?”
The Texas Rep. concluded — “And that you were in charge of an investigation, investigating, gathering evidence against Donald Trump, a subject that you hated, that you wanted to ‘eff’ him, to stop him, to impeach him. Do you see why that might call into question everything you’ve touched on all of those investigations? Chairman, I’m done with this witness and I yield back.”
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