Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries wonders 'how the heck' Whitaker became head of the DOJ
Tensions remained high during acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Friday as Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) openly mused to Whitaker that many Americans are "trying figure out who are you, where did you come from and how the heck did you become the head of the Department of Justice."
Whitaker attempted to respond to Jeffries but was cut off by the congressman saying "that was a statement not a question." Whitaker has faced criticism from Democrats who are concerned that he has been leading the DOJ without Senate confirmation.
Jeffries also pressed Whitaker on his involvement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
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.
"It is often said where there is smoke, there's fire," Jeffries warned. "There's a lot of smoke emanating from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue right now ... In your final week, keep your hands off the Mueller investigation."
Earlier in the day Whitaker initially avoided a question regarding involvement with Mueller's investigation by saying the time limit for questioning was up. Whitaker later went on to answer the question, saying he has "not interfered in any way" with the investigation.
-
6 exquisite homes with vast acreageFeature Featuring an off-the-grid contemporary home in New Mexico and lakefront farmhouse in Massachusetts
-
Film reviews: ‘Wuthering Heights,’ ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die,’ and ‘Sirat’Feature An inconvenient love torments a would-be couple, a gonzo time traveler seeks to save humanity from AI, and a father’s desperate search goes deeply sideways
-
Political cartoons for February 16Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include President's Day, a valentine from the Epstein files, and more
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
-
US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train armySpeed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
-
Grand jury rejects charging 6 Democrats for ‘orders’ videoSpeed Read The jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers for a video in which they urged military members to resist illegal orders
