Trump labels Schiff ‘little Adam Schitt’

“So funny to see little Adam Schitt (D-CA) talking about the fact that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was not approved by the Senate, but not mentioning the fact that Bob Mueller (who is highly conflicted) was not approved by the Senate!” Trump wrote in a tweet.

So funny to see little Adam Schitt (D-CA) talking about the fact that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was not approved by the Senate, but not mentioning the fact that Bob Mueller (who is highly conflicted) was not approved by the Senate!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 18, 2018

Earlier Sunday, Schiff — who will likely be the next chairman of the House Intelligence Committee — said Democrats would challenge the appointment of Whitaker.

Schiff and other Democrats argue that Whitaker, who was appointed by Trump following the resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, should be subject to Senate approval.{mosads}

Mueller, the special counsel in charge of the Justice Department’s investigation of Russian election interference, does not need to be confirmed by the Senate to his position. The attorney general, who is confirmed by the Senate, appoints special prosecutors. 

“Don’t tell me about Whitaker, because Mueller was not Senate confirmed, and Whitaker was, actually,” the president said earlier this month.

Mueller was unanimously confirmed by the Senate as FBI director in 2001 and in 2011.

The Senate confirmed Whitaker in 2004 as a U.S. attorney in Iowa, a post he left in 2009.

Schiff later responded to Trump’s tweet and got in his own dig.

“Wow, Mr. President, that’s a good one. Was that like your answers to Mr. Mueller’s questions, or did you write this one yourself?” Schiff wrote, referring to reports that Trump’s lawyers are writing Trump’s answers to written questions from Mueller.

Wow, Mr. President, that’s a good one.

Was that like your answers to Mr. Mueller’s questions, or did you write this one yourself? https://t.co/Yd27sayt7C

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 18, 2018

Whitaker has also come under fire for his past criticisms of Mueller’s investigation. He now oversees the probe.

Whitaker previously said that he believed the special counsel probe, which includes investigating links between the Trump campaign and Russia, had gone “too far.” He also once suggested that the special counsel should be defunded.

Schiff also said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that the Justice Department’s succession statute should have prevented Trump from appointing Whitaker.

“So it’s a flawed appointment, but the biggest flaw from my point of view is that he was chosen for the purpose of interfering with the Mueller investigation,” Schiff said Sunday.

— Updated 1:50 p.m.