An MSNBC analyst seriously asked two Democratic guests Monday whether Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, has ‘been compromised’ and become a ‘Russian agent’ in the wake of his vote to release the memo that is said to outline gross FBI misconduct as part of an opposition campaign against President Trump.
John Heilemann, a regular MSNBC talking head asked Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) “Is it possible that the Republican chairman of the House Intel Committee has been compromised by the Russians?”
Admitting it was a “ridiculous and absurd” question, Heilemann added “Is it possible that we actually have a Russian agent running the House Intel Committee on the Republican side?”
A stunned Murphy clearly couldn’t believe that Heilemann was seriously posing the question, replying “I-I-I-I hope that’s not the case,” and adding “I certainly have no information to suggest that it is.”
Nevertheless, the dismissal didn’t deter the MSNBC analyst.
“Doesn’t his behavior speak of that, though?” Heilemann asked, continuing “I mean, I’m not the first person who’s raised this. He’s behaving like someone who’s been compromised, and there are people in the intelligence community and others with great expertise in this area who look at him and say, ‘That guy’s been compromised.'”
Murphy again dismissed the notion and answered that Republicans simply voted along party lines in support of President Trump.
Far from leaving the suggestion there, simmering in it’s own ridiculousness, Heilemann brought it to an absurd boil later on in the broadcast, asking Rep. Eric Swalwell (D., Calif.) if he thinks Nunes is a Russian agent.
“Congressman Nunes, your chairman, it is suggested not by me but by people who follow these matters closely, could he possibly be someone who has been compromised by the Russians?” Heilemann asked.
“Is that something that you consider a possibility?” he followed up.
Swalwell didn’t take the bait, and instead suggested that Nunes had been “compromised by the White House.”
“He certainly seems to be willing to risk the republic to protect the president, to risk the rule of law to help the president’s case in the Russia investigation,” he said.
This is the level that MSNBC has stooped to in its political coverage. It has hosts asking elected Democrats if they think ‘muh Russians’ are secretly controlling Republican representatives, presumably as part of a giant conspiracy to stop Hillary Clinton becoming President and installing Trump as Putin’s puppet.
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