President Trump supports Republican lawmakers pushing to publish a classified memo composed under the leadership of Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), White House Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short announced on Fox News Sunday. Short's comments confirm a Saturday Washington Post report.
Nunes says the memo demonstrates FBI and Justice Department misconduct during the 2016 election, including improper surveillance of the Trump campaign. Those who support its publication have made #ReleasetheMemo their rallying cry, even as some reports indicate the social media campaign was amplified by Moscow-linked accounts.
"We don't know what's in the memo. But I think the president generally sides on the side of transparency," Short told host Chris Wallace. "I'm sure he's very concerned about some of the appearances of conflict of interest at the top of the [FBI]."
Trump's own Justice Department, which oversees the FBI, disagrees. On Wednesday, the DOJ sent Nunes a letter warning that releasing the memo would be "reckless," risking "harm to national security and to ongoing investigations."
Watch Short's full interview below. The memo discussion begins around the 10:50 mark. Bonnie Kristian