Republican Congressman Excuses Donald Trump For Lying, Says That’s Just What Businessmen Do
Republican Congressman Darryl Issa is perhaps providing a window into the reaction the United States will see from Republicans if it is finally proven that President Donald Trump lied about what he knew and when he knew it, reports Think Progress. The congressman from California appeared on Fox News Saturday and implied that there wouldn’t be much of a reaction if turns out the President of the United States has been bald-faced lying to the American people.
“Well, if he’s proven to have not told the whole truth about the fact that campaigns look for dirt and that if someone offers it you listen to them, nobody is going to be surprised. There are some things in politics that you just take for granted,” Issa said, after host Neil Cavuto suggested voters will care about the story “if he’s proven to be a liar.”
Then again, it’s probably not all that surprising for Issa, whose own business empire was allegedly built on shady dealings, to not have a huge issue if someone is found to have lied. The question is — will all of his fellow Republicans follow suit. And if they do, how will the American electorate react? Will they not care and think that’s just how things roll now in politics or could there be a blue wave come the mid-terms?
Issa didn’t just leave it at that. He pretty much doubled down on his assertion that Trump’s base wouldn’t care.
“Well, you know, businessmen listen to almost everyone that might be helpful. And by the way, they make pragmatic decisions about how to make bad stories go away,” Issa said.
It appears that the Republican congressman was alluding to those taped conversations between Trump and his lawyer/fixer Michael Cohen that were leaked last week where they are overheard discussing buying the rights to Playboy model Karen McDougal’s story about her affair with Trump.
“In business, a problem is something money won’t solve. If you’ve got somebody making an allegation, true or false, suing you for something true or false, you often make a pragmatic decision: make it go away and get back to the important things.”
As Think Progress pointed out, Issa would certainly know that better than most of his House colleagues, considering he has the largest bank account of all of them. That fortune was amassed through a hostile takeover of a car-alarm company. They pointed to worse tactics than lying he used to get ahead, including boosting fire insurance a few weeks before his plant burned down and arson inspectors labeling the fire as suspicious.
