The White House reportedly worries the Nunes memo is 'underwhelming'


President Trump is reportedly ready to defy recommendations from his own Justice Department, as well as the FBI director he appointed, in order to release a controversial Republican memo. But apparently not everyone in the White House is sold.
The hotly contested memo, authored by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), reportedly alleges the FBI inappropriately spied on President Trump's campaign in 2016. Trump reportedly believes that releasing the document publicly could help to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, including potential collusion between Trump's team and Russia, which Trump has deemed a "witch hunt." But some staff in the White House believe the document is "underwhelming," Axios reported Thursday.
"There's internal anxiety about whether it's worth angering the FBI director and intelligence community by releasing this information," Axios explained. The Justice Department and the FBI have claimed the memo draws on incomplete information. Axios reported that some White House officials who've been apprised of its contents don't think the document enough of a "slam dunk" to justify its release.
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.
Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, which Nunes chairs, voted Monday to release the memo. The White House has the final say over what will be made public, and Trump is reportedly in favor of releasing it. A White House official predicted Thursday that the memo would probably be released, but possibly with some redactions to appease the Justice Department.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kelly O'Meara Morales is a staff writer at The Week. He graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and studied Middle Eastern history and nonfiction writing amongst other esoteric subjects. When not compulsively checking Twitter, he writes and records music, subsists on tacos, and watches basketball.
-
Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocrat
Feature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
-
Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?
Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
-
Government shuts down amid partisan deadlock
Feature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo
-
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
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot