GOP congressman 'misspoke' when he said lawmakers work 'for the president,' spokesman clarifies
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
GOP Rep. Ted Yoho (Fla.) "misspoke" when he claimed Thursday morning that congressmen work "for the president," Yoho's spokesman has clarified in a statement. Yoho made the claim while defending House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who has faced scrutiny for meeting an undisclosed source on White House grounds the day before he announced President Trump and his team's communications may have been inadvertently swept up in routine surveillance.
"You gotta keep in mind who he works for," Yoho said during an interview on MSNBC. "He works for the president. He answers to the president." "Does he?" MSNBC's Craig Melvin said. "Or does he work for the constituents in the district?"
"Well, you do both," Yoho said. "But when you're in that capacity — you know, if you've got information — I'm okay with what he did." Democrats, on the other hand, have called for Nunes to recuse himself from the investigation of President Trump's ties to Russia's election meddling.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Yoho's spokesman clarified later Thursday that Yoho "knows that every member is here because of the people that voted them into office" and that he understands "members work for their constituents, whether they are rank and file or if they have the honor of serving as a committee chairman."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com