Sources: WH directed Bannon’s silence
Ariz. senators criticize Trump, compare remarks to Stalin’s
WASHINGTON — Steve Bannon’s attorney relayed questions, in real time, to the White House during a House Intelligence Committee interview of the former Trump chief strategist on Tuesday, people familiar with the closed-door session said.
As lawmakers probed Mr. Bannon’s time working for President Donald Trump, Mr. Bannon’s attorney Bill Burck asked the White House counsel’s office by phone during the session whether his client could answer the questions. He was told by that office not to discuss his work on the transitionor in the White House.
It’s unclear whom Mr. Burck was communicating with in the White House. He is also representing top White House lawyer Don McGahn in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Tuesday’s conversations were confirmed by a White House official and a second person familiar with the interview. They spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorizedto speak publicly.
At the White House, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the questions were relayed over the phone and said it was a typical process.
“Sometimes they actually have a White House attorney present in the room,” she said. “This … will likely happen again on any other numberof” occasions.
On Wednesday, the AP also confirmed that Mr. Bannon will meet with Mr. Mueller’ s investigators for an interview instead of appearing before a grand jury. A person familiar with that issue said Mr. Bannon is expected to cooperate with Mr. Mueller.
Mr. Bannon on Tuesday refused to answer a broad array of queries from the House Intelligence Committee about his time working for Mr. Trump, leading the Republican committee chairmanto authorize a subpoena.
Ariz. senators’ criticisms
Mr. Trump’s use of the terms “fake news” and “enemy of the people” is “shameful” and reminiscent of words infamously used by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to describe his enemies, Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said Wednesday.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Mr. Flake of Arizona called Mr. Trump’s repeated attacks on the media “repulsive” and said Mr. Trump “hasit precisely backward.”
Arizona’s other Republican senator, John McCain, also decried Mr. Trump’s use of the term “fake news” and said Mr. Trump was encouraging autocrats worldwide.
Stopgap bill opposed
Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said Wednesday there’s “very, very strong” sentiment among Democrats in the chamber to oppose GOP-drafted legislationto keep the government’s doors open, comments that could indicate the chances are increasing that the government could shut down at midnightFriday night.
Some conservatives also oppose the short-term spending bill and said GOP leaders lackedthe votes to pass it.
‘Uninformed’ promises?
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly told Democratic lawmakers Wednesday that the United States will never construct a physical wall along the entire stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border and that some of Mr. Trump’s campaign promises on immigration were “uninformed.”
CFPB launches review
Mick Mulvaney, the Trump-appointed acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said Wednesday that he is launching a review of all the federal consumer watchdog agency’s policies and priorities.