Former Republican Congressman Trey Gowdy now says there was one big mistake he made heading into the Russia probe.
Gowdy Admits Trusting the FBI Was a Big Mistake
Gowdy appeared on Fox News Monday, where he told host Tucker Carlson that he was wrong to take take the word of FBI leadership instead of demanding to see the documents. The former South Carolina congressman said it was a mistake, but said that he corrected it within the first three weeks.
"My mistake was relying on the word of the FBI and the DOJ and not insisting on the documents." @TGowdySC admits "mistake" in defending FBI during Russia investigation.https://t.co/QAslli4NvH
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 12, 2020
Carlson played a clip of Gowdy from 2018 after he had been briefed by the FBI.
“I am more convinced the FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do when they got the information they got, and that it has nothing to do with Donald Trump,” Gowdy said at the time.
Tucker Carlson presses Trey Gowdy on his defense of the FBI's actions during the Russia investigation:
"My mistake was relying on the word of the FBI and the DOJ and not insisting on all of the documents. Luckily, it took me about three weeks to correct that mistake." pic.twitter.com/nsAXL1lb8g
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 12, 2020
FBLie
“I remember watching that and thinking, boy, I hope he is right,” Carlson said. “Do you still feel that way?”
“Oh gosh, no,” Gowdy said, with a laugh and a smile, explaining what made him change his mind.
“I went to the Department of Justice. I sat there for four hours,” Gowdy said. “That is when I saw that Peter Strzok actually initiated and approved Crossfire Hurricane. That is when I saw the exculpatory information on George Papadopoulos. That is when I saw for the very first time that it was the Trump campaign mentioned in that predicate document.”
Gowdy Admits He was Wrong to Trust ‘the Word of the FBI and the DOJ’ During Russiagate | https://t.co/CBHEutsx5X pic.twitter.com/maMzJJXEqm
— National Review News Wire (@NRWire) May 12, 2020
The FBI Claimed Trump Wasn’t a Target
Gowdy noted that the FBI had repeatedly insisted Trump wasn’t a target.
“So yes, my mistake was relying on the word of the FBI and the DOJ and not insisting on the documents. Luckily it took me three weeks to correct that mistake,” Gowdy finished.