Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, pushed back Monday against suggestions that Democrats will devote too much of their time in Congress to investigating the Trump administration, calling the idea a media-driven “narrative.”
On CNN’s “News Central,” host Brianna Keilar cited comments from Adam Hamilton, a Democrat recently elected to the Senate. Hamilton said he did not want the next two years to be consumed by trials involving the Trump administration. Keilar noted that several incoming Democrats had expressed similar concerns.
Raskin began to interrupt, saying the media was trying to promote that narrative. Keilar responded that she was quoting Hamilton and asked whether other Democrats might be disappointed if investigations took up too much time.
Raskin said the new Democratic lawmakers would be able to handle multiple priorities through the work of different committees. He pointed to restoring Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage, helping people regain food assistance, and addressing what he described as harmful tariffs.
He also said Democrats could work with Republicans to lower gas and diesel prices and develop a plan for ending U.S. involvement in the Iran conflict. Raskin argued that corruption and affordability were connected issues under the Trump administration.
While Raskin dismissed the criticism as a media narrative, some prominent progressives have separately urged Democrats not to spend the next two years focused on President Donald Trump. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said Sunday that Congress should hold the administration accountable for corruption and alleged illegal or unconstitutional actions, but warned against making investigations its only focus.
Sanders said lawmakers also needed to address issues including child and senior poverty, as well as economic and privacy risks linked to artificial intelligence.
