Don Trump Jr. moves to influence Senate GOP, wielding his father's favorite weapon
by David M. Drucker, Senior Political Correspondent |
| November 11, 2020 11:48 AM
Donald Trump Jr. is flexing his muscles with Republican leaders on Twitter just like his father, publicly lashing Texas Sen. John Cornyn for defending Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspel as speculation swirls that President Trump is poised to fire her.
A fierce advocate for his father, the younger Trump has never hesitated to push back against Republicans critical of the president. But with Trump headed to defeat at the hands of presumptive President-elect Joe Biden, his eldest son has become more vocal in demanding fealty from rank-and-file Republicans. Cornyn, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was Trump Jr.’s latest target after last week bashing Republicans eyeing a 2024 presidential bid for insufficiently backing Trump’s claims of a stolen election.
“Have you or @marcorubio or @senatemajldr actually discussed this with anyone in the Admin. who actually works with [Haspel,] like @DNI_Ratcliffe or @MarkMeadows or @robertcobrien, to get their perspective, or are you just taking a trained liar's word for it on everything?†Trump Jr. said Tuesday in a tweet directed at Cornyn. (In the post, Trump Jr. referred to Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe; White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and national security adviser Robert C. O’Brien.)
The post was prompted by a Twitter exchange Cornyn had with Republican operative Arthur Schwartz, a Trump ally and close friend of Trump Jr. The president this week fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and Haspel is thought to be next on the chopping block. In support, Schwartz tweeted at Cornyn; acting Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Marco Rubio of Florida; and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who met with Haspel Tuesday:
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