Watch Sen. Angus King demolish NSA head Mike Rogers for his refusal to discuss conversations with Trump

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) grilled National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers on Wednesday after he repeatedly refused to answer the Senate Intelligence Committee's questions about his conversations with President Trump regarding the Russia probe. After Rogers declined to provide details on his private talks with Trump, King demanded an explanation. "Why are you not answering these questions? Is there an invocation by the president of the United States of executive privilege? Is there or not?" King asked.
Rogers insisted there was no invocation of executive privilege, but said he was staying mum because he felt it was inappropriate to answer the questions. "What you feel isn't relevant, admiral," King responded, arguing that if there was no legal justification for silence then Rogers ought to answer the questions.
But Rogers refused — though he insisted he didn't mean it "in a contentious way." "Well, I do mean it in a contentious way," King said. "I don't understand why you're not answering our questions."
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.
National Intelligence Director Dan Coats and acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe were also subjected to King's brutal line of questioning for their similar refusals to talk about their discussions with Trump. When King pressed Coats for the legal basis of his refusal, Coats admitted, "I'm not sure I have a legal basis." McCabe similarly struggled to explain his legal reasoning for not answering.
Watch King's questioning below. Becca Stanek
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
One great cookbook: ‘The Woks of Life’
The Week Recommends A family’s opinionated, reliable take on all kinds of Chinese cooking
-
Digital addiction: the compulsion to stay online
In depth What it is and how to stop it
-
Can Trump bully Netanyahu into Gaza peace?
Today's Big Question The Israeli leader was ‘strong-armed’ into new peace deal
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies