Sen. Coons says one key thing separates Biden, Trump docs cases -- but acknowledges political 'fallout'

Chris Coons insisted there was a key difference between Biden and Trump's handling of classified documents: the need for a search warrant

Sen. Chris Coons, a close ally of Joe Biden, on Sunday insisted there was a key difference between the current president and former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents while out of office.

"I have some confidence that, because he is fully cooperating, we will get to the bottom of this," Coons told ABC "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz of Biden, in "sharp contrast" with Biden's predecessor, whom the government says resisted returning classified records.

"There is one important document that distinguishes former President Trump from President Biden: That's a warrant," Coons, D-Del., said.

He contended that the controversy wasn't "keeping Americans up at night," but Raddatz pointed to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll showing 64% of people say Biden acted inappropriately in his handling of classified materials.

PHOTO: Sen. Chris Coons speaks on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 17, 2023.
Sen. Chris Coons speaks on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 17, 2023.
Markus Schreiber/AP

"You don't think there will be any political fallout from this?" Raddatz pressed.

"I think the fallout is right now," Coons said. "We're talking about this instead of President Biden's leadership on confronting Russian aggression in Ukraine or talking about something I do think is on people's minds -- the potential of a debt ceiling fight and a default."

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gas stove procedural defeat puts the fragility of McCarthy's speakership on full display

Image
The revolt of 11 Republicans to join Democrats in striking down a procedural first step on gas stove legislation shows the fragility of McCarthy's speakership. The gas stove debate is boiling over, but it's Kevin McCarthy's speakership that may have been burned. A procedural first step to take up GOP-backed legislation to prohibit the federal government from banning gas stove s failed Tuesday afternoon -- at the hands of 12 GOP lawmakers. It was merely the first opportunity for House Freedom Caucus members dissatisfied with McCarthy and President Joe Biden's debt limit deal to revolt publicly against the speaker, joining 208 Democrats to vote down the rule. MORE: Why debt ceiling bill is a major test of Kevin McCarthy's leadership While it may be wonky, this procedural hurdle puts the fragility of McCarthy's speakership on full display. "We're not going to live in the era of the imperial speaker anymore," GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz told reporters...
Read more

Biden says Putin is losing 'war in Iraq' -- not Ukraine -- in latest gaffe

Image
Twice in 24 hours Biden misspoke when discussing the Ukraine-Russia war. Twice in 24 hours President Joe Biden misspoke when discussing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, referring to it instead as the war "in Iraq." The first apparent gaffe occurred Tuesday when Biden was courting Democratic donors at a fundraiser in Chevy Chase, Maryland. "Think about this: If anybody told you -- and my staff wasn't so sure, either -- that we'd be able to bring all of Europe together in the onslaught on Iraq and get NATO to be completely united, I think they would have told you it's not likely," Biden said. "The one thing Putin counted on was being able to split NATO." MORE: Russian military leaders were aware of Prigozhin's mutiny plan: US officials The second mistake happened Wednesday as Biden departed Washington for Chicago, where he delivered a major speech on his economic philosophy. On the South Lawn, Biden was asked about whether Russia's V...
Read more

Blockbuster Supreme Court decisions to come on student loans, affirmative action and more

Image
The justices will hand down their next round of opinions on Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET. The Supreme Court has left this term's blockbuster decisions for last, with rulings expected this week on student loans , affirmative action and more. The justices will hand down their next round of opinions on Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET. There are 10 total cases remaining from the term that began back in October. Their rulings will decide the fate of millions of Americans with federal student loans, a 40-year precedent of race-conscious college admissions processes, how federal elections are run in the U.S. and LGBTQ+ rights. MORE: Chief Justice John Roberts defends Supreme Court's 'highest standards of conduct,' offers no new rules Already this term, the Supreme Court has weighed in on cases involving the Voting Rights Act, the Biden administration's deportation policy, the Indian Child Welfare Act and social media liability. Here's a closer look at four major issues left to...
Read more