Grassley Compares Current Political Scandals to Watergate
WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has expressed strong concerns regarding recent political scandals, stating they represent a “government cover-up” that he believes exceeds the magnitude of the Watergate affair from over 50 years ago, which led to Richard Nixon’s resignation.
In the latest episode of “Pod Force One,” Grassley discussed with columnist Miranda Devine the significant differences between Watergate and alleged misconduct by the Obama and Biden administrations.
The 91-year-old chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee remarked, “I probably give a long speech about it—maybe a few times over, really.” He seemed to underscore the depth of his convictions.
“Watergate was an external cover-up. You and I have been chatting about cover-ups within the government. There’s a significant difference,” he noted.
Grassley referred to hundreds of pages of intelligence documents, many released by his office recently, that suggest a collaboration among Obama administration officials and Russia to influence the 2016 election.
“I recall a chat with a friend who talked to a Democrat senator back in February 2017,” Grassley shared. “He made a notable comment. Perhaps I can even quote him: he said Trump didn’t exist back in September 2017.” This, according to Grassley, was indicative of efforts aimed at removing Trump from the political arena.
He detailed numerous instances related to this narrative, involving figures like Attorney General Pam Bondy, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and FBI Director Kash Patel, all emerging from the declassification of records by those on Trump’s current cabinet.
Grassley elaborated, “Everything was aimed at Trump. It was all out in the open at the time. What we’re uncovering now are the orchestrations behind the incidents brought against Trump by Jack Smith, showcasing how government power, particularly from the FBI and the Justice Department, was weaponized.”
Contrasting this with the handling of Hillary Clinton’s email situation, he added, “What happened there was a government cover-up. It’s puzzling how Trump could have been elected when there were ongoing investigations regarding Clinton’s emails and similar issues that went unaddressed.”
Additionally, he pointed out that recent information revealed the FBI’s failures in scrutinizing Clinton’s emails exposed missing accountability from the agency.
Grassley mentioned his colleague, Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and Johnson’s efforts looking into Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings. “Whistleblowers came forward and painted a grim picture of the situation,” he recalled, discussing an FBI briefing that he termed as “fake.”
Full episode
Grassley recounted, “We attended a briefing but didn’t gain new insights. It was arranged at the request of Democratic leaders… clearly to set us up.”
When asked if legal repercussions could follow for certain former officials, Grassley responded, “I tell you, what they did to make sure Trump wouldn’t be president was quite extensive. Especially in their attempts to remove him from office.” He added, “They put considerable emphasis on the Russia narrative.”
Grassley also expressed surprise at the extent of cooperation from Trump’s administration with the Senate, claiming it was unprecedented compared to any past administration in the last 40 years.
“I’m floored by what has come to light from this administration,” he asserted, emphasizing the importance of transparency. “We must ensure everything hidden is revealed, holding the government accountable and preventing similar situations in the future.”
