GOP congressman 'misspoke' when he said lawmakers work 'for the president,' spokesman clarifies

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.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

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."