Republicans Are Having Strong Feelings About Don Jr.

Some Republicans are furious that one of their own — Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina — would go after President Trump’s eldest son with a subpoena, requesting his testimony for a second time.

After all, Burr, the chairman of the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee, said himself that he hadn’t found evidence of the Trump campaign colluding with Russia in the course of his panel’s investigation.

Sen. Thom Tillis, Burr’s Republican colleague from North Carolina, wrote on Twitter that “it’s time to move on” from the investigation, but didn’t call out Burr by name.

President Donald Trump, in defending son, said Thursday he’s “pretty surprised” that a “very good person” like Don. Jr would be called before the Senate panel.

And Charlie Kirk, a friend to Don. Jr and founder of Turning Point USA, tweeted several times in Don. Jr’s defense and called on Tillis to attack Burr more.

“Conservatives are watching closely how @SenThomTillis responds to his North Carolina colleague @SenatorBurr’s senseless targeting of @DonaldJTrumpJr. Primaries will not be kind to Republicans who stand silent as government power is abused to harass the President’s family,” Kirk wrote.

Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, told Politico that “the subpoenas can’t happen without a Republican being for it, and I would hope that Republicans would stand firm and say enough’s enough.”

“This is a great sort of assault on someone, in the sense that you put yourself in jeopardy anytime you come in and testify,” Paul said.

For two years, Burr’s committee has been conducting a bipartisan congressional investigation into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, and whether the Trump campaign colluded with those efforts. Now that the committee is nearing the end of its investigation, the senate panel is calling on Trump Jr. to testify about what he told congressional investigators last year.

Trump Jr. first testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee in December 2017. Now, he faces another round of questioning about his role in the infamous June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower to gather “dirt” on Hillary Clinton, and developments surrounding Trump Tower Moscow, according to the New York Times.

Some Republicans are saying they back that move, since it’s Burr’s committee and his investigation. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, told Politico that “conservatives shouldn’t criticize Burr.”

Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouri, said he “didn’t have any problems” with Burr’s decision. Sen. Mitch McConnell — who said earlier this week that it’s “case closed” when it comes to collusion — is supporting Burr’s handling of the subpoena, according to the New York Times.

“The leader had confidence in Burr’s leadership, nobody else ought to be questioning it,” Grassley said.

Cover: Donald Trump Jr. attends the Zang Toi runway show in Gallery II in Spring Studios during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Spring Studios on February 13, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Manny Carabel/Getty Images)