Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testified to the Jan. 6 committee that he talked to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about invoking the 25th Amendment against President Donald Trump despite Pompeo’s denial.
The contradiction was found in the Tuesday dump of a number of testimony transcripts, which included that of Mnuchin.
Former Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, former Attorney General William Barr, and former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao also testified to the committee that they didn’t recall any conversations about the 25th Amendment.
The apparent contradiction could lead to legal trouble for Mnuchin or Pompeo.
SUDDENLY, DEMOCRATS AREN’T CONCERNED ABOUT THE 25TH AMENDMENT
“Do you recall talking to Secretary Pompeo in General Milley’s presence about the 25th Amendment?” Mnuchin was asked by the committee.
“I mean, I do recall speaking to Secretary Pompeo about the 25th Amendment. I don’t recall it being in that circumstance, and I surely don’t recall that I stopped the conversation when General Milley came up,” he replied.
In new batches of Jan 6 Cmte depositions, Trump Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia & Transportation Sec. Elaine Chao said they don’t recall discussions of invoking 25th Amendment.
But Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin recalls such a conversation ==>
p 11: https://t.co/H5cLEjXB6c pic.twitter.com/bKng9vBf1x
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 27, 2022
However, the conversation doesn’t appear to have gone very far.
“[The 25th Amendment] came up very briefly in our conversation. [Pompeo and I] both believed that the best outcome was a normal transition of power, which was working, and neither one of us contemplated in any serious format the 25th Amendment,” he added
Per his deposition w/ Jan 6 Select Cmte… Trump Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said he didn’t “contemplate in any serious format” a plan to invoke 25th Amendment.
But he acknowledges…. GOOGLING it ==> pic.twitter.com/xgROyC52ln
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 27, 2022
He also admitted that he wasn’t entirely familiar with the amendment, saying that the “only research I did out of curiosity was I googled it.”
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The 25th Amendment allows the president’s Cabinet to deem him or her “unable to discharge the powers and duties” of office through a majority vote, ousting them in favor of the vice president.
