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The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said President Trump wants to "take down" special counsel Robert Mueller who is conducting the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible ties to Trump associates.

The president wants to take down Bob Mueller. His lawyer wants to take down Bob Mueller," Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz in an exclusive interview Sunday.

"The question is why," Schiff continued. I think the answer is they want to lay the foundation to discredit whatever Bob Mueller comes up with. Theyre essentially engaging in a scorched-earth litigation strategy that is beginning with trying to discredit the prosecutor.

Schiff was responding to a question from Raddatz on whether Trumps defenders are right to raise concerns that lawyers hired by Mueller have contributed to Democratic political candidates.

Anyone who knows Bob Mueller knows he is choosing the best people to serve on this investigative team -- people that have experience in the issues that he wants to investigate and believes need to be investigated, Schiff said.

President Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with the Russia investigation, including saying on Twitter on Thursday that the probe is the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history - led by some very bad and conflicted people!

Raddatz also asked Schiff whether he believed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein should recuse himself from overseeing the special counsel investigation after Trump appeared on Friday to refer to Rosenstein in a tweet, which said, I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt.

Rosenstein has privately discussed with colleagues the possibility of rescusal, as ABC News has reported.

Schiff said the deputy attorney general would not need to recuse himself unless Mueller concludes that Rod Rosensteins conduct may be culpable in some way, regarding the presidents firing of former FBI director James Comey. Im not saying this is the case But if [Mueller] should conclude that yes, Rod Rosenstein would need to recuse himself.

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President Trump 'wants to take down' special counsel Mueller: top House Democrat - ABC News

On The Record: Mass. Democrat reacts to Alexandria shooting

Updated: 11:35 AM EDT Jun 18, 2017

Rep. Jim McGovern says we need to have an honest conversation about guns in this country after Rep. Steve Scalise was shot at a baseball field in Virginia.

WEBVTT ED: GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.IT IS TIME TO GO "ON THERECORD.">> WE HAVE TO BE MUCH MORECAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE USE OURWORDS.ED: A COUNTRY NOW IMMUNE TOVIOLENCE. CAN CONGRESS SET AN EXAMPLEAFTER A WEEK OF TRAGEDY?>> WE NEED THE WHITE HOUSE TOWORK.RIGHT NOW, IT IS NOT WORKING.ED: THE PLOT THICKENS IN THEPROBE OF THE TRUMPADMINISTRATION.OUTSPOKEN BAY STATE CONGRESSMANJIM MCGOVERN IS OUR GUEST THISMORNING.ON BEACON HILL, HOW HIGH CAN THEMARIJUANA TAX GO?AND -->> SHARING YOUR FATHER'S LESSONSWITH THE PRESIDENT.ANNOUNCER: FROM WCVB CHANNEL 5,THE INSIDE WORD FROM WASHINGTONTO BEACON HILL.TODAY'S NEWSMAKERS ARE GOING "ONTHE RECORD." ED: GOOD MORNING.HAPPY FATHER'S DAY.I'M ED HARDING, ALONG WITHNEWSCENTER 5'S JANET WU.IT SEEMS WE NOW SAY THIS EVERYSUNDAY.AFTER ANOTHER UNBELIEVABLE WEEKIN WASHINGTON -- THIS MORNING, WE HAVE WORCESTERDEMOCRAT JIM MCGOVERN AS OURGUEST. THE CONGRESSMAN JOINS US LIVEVIA SATELLITE FROM WASHINGTON.GOOD MORNING.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THISFATHER'S DAY.JANET: THANK YOU FOR BEING WITHUS.REP. MCGOVERN: HAPPY FATHER'SDAY.I WISH MY FATHER, WALTERMCGOVERN, A HAPPY FATHER'S DAY,TOO.JANET: LET'S JUMP INTO WHATHAPPENED THIS WEEK.A SHOOTING IN ALEXANDRIA WHERECONGRESSMEN WERE PRACTICINGFOR THE ANNUAL BASEBALL GAME.WILL THIS EVENT CHANGE ANY BOATSON GUN CONTROL AND HOW?THERE'S TALKS ON BOTH SIDESABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE GUNS INWASHINGTON AND THE NEED FOR LESSGUNS.REP. MCGOVERN: I'M ON THE SIDEOF LESS GUNS.THERE ARE TOO MANY GUNS AND TOOMANY ASSAULT WEAPONS IN OURCOUNTRY.WE'VE HAD INCIDENTS LIKE THIS INTHE PAST.MY COLLEAGUE GABBY GIFFORDS WASSHOT.WE'VE HAD MASSACRES TIME ANDTIME AGAIN.YET, IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT EVENTO BRING THAT DISCUSSION TO THEHOUSE FLOOR.I'M HOPING AT SOME POINT THATWILL CHANGE.WE NEED TO HAVE AN HONESTCONVERSATION ABOUT GUNS IN OURCOUNTRY.JANET: YOU DON'T THINK THIS WILLCHANGE ANYTHING ONCE AGAIN?REP. MCGOVERN: I HOPE I AM WRONGON THAT.SOME OF US WILL CONTINUE TO PUSHTHAT WE BRING RESPONSIBLE GUNSAFETY LEGISLATION AND GUNCONTROL BILLS TO THE FLOOR.WE HAVE TRIED TIME AND TIMEAGAIN IN THE AFTERMATH OFMASSACRES AND WE HAVE NOT BEENSUCCESSFUL.MAYBE THIS TIME WILL BEDIFFERENT.ED: WHEN I HEAR ON THE STREET,IF YOU USE THE WORD "MASSACRE,"IF SANDY HOOK COULDN'T CHANGEANYTHING, WHAT CAN?REP. MCGOVERN: THE NATIONALRIFLE ASSOCIATION ISWELL-FINANCED LOBBY THAT INVESTSHEAVILY IN CAMPAIGNS.EVEN AMONG DEMOCRATS.THEY DON'T WANT ANY OF THESEVOTES TO COME TO THE FLOOR.WE HAD A SIT IN ON THE HOUSEFLOOR LAST YEAR OVER THE FACTTHAT WE COULDN'T GET THELEADERSHIP TO BRING TO THE FLOORTO BILLS.ONE THAT CALLED FOR UNIVERSALTHAT SAID IF YOU ARE TOODANGEROUS TO FLY ON AN AIRPLANEBECAUSE YOU WERE ON AN FBIWATCHLIST, YOU WANT NOT TO BEABLE TO GO BY AN ASSAULTWEAPON.JANET: BECAUSE OF REPUBLICANSWHO BACK THE CURRENT GUN LAWS,THEY WILL CHANGE THEM SO PEOPLEWILL HAVE MORE ACCESS TO GUNS TODEFEND THEMSELVES?REP. MCGOVERN: THE MAN WHOCOMMITTED THIS RENDERS CRIME --HORRENDOUS CRIME HAD A LONGHISTORY OF TROUBLE.HE WENT OUT AND BOUGHT THISWEAPON AND SHOT AT MYCOLLEAGUES.THAT WAS IN VIRGINIA.THE LAWS IN VIRGINIA ARE PRETTYLOOSE.GOVERNOR TERRY MCAULIFFE TALKEDABOUT THAT IN THE IMMEDIATEAFTERMATH OF THE SHOOTING.LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS.MOST OF THE PEOPLE I TALKED TO ALAW-ENFORCEMENT -- IN LAWENFORCEMENT QUITE FRANKLY FAVORCOMMONSENSE GUN LEGISLATION.WE OUGHT TO INSIST THERE BEBACKGROUND CHECKS AND THEY OUGHTTO BE UNIVERSAL.I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS SOCONTROVERSIAL.SOMEHOW COME IN WASHINGTON, ITIS.ED: THE NEXT THING I WANT TOTALK ABOUT IS CUBA.PRESIDENT TRUMP NOT A BIG FAN OFHIS PREDECESSOR'S CUBA POLICY.WHAT'S THE DANGER OF CHANGINGCOURSE?REP. MCGOVERN: THE DANGER IS ITHURTS THE CUBAN PEOPLE AND ITHURTS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH CUBAIS NOT JUST ABOUT HELPING CUBA,IT'S ABOUT HELPING THE UNITEDSTATES.ALREADY COME A NUMBER OF U.S.BUSINESSES IN A VERY LIMITED WAYHAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO BUSINESSWITH CUBA.IT HAS RESULTED IN MORE JOBS INTHE UNITED STATES.AMERICAN AIRLINES, JETBLUE ANDDELTA HAVE DIRECT FLIGHTS TOCUBA.PEOPLE ARE BEING EMPLOYED IN THEUNITED STATES BECAUSE OF OURBETTER RELATIONS WITH CUBA.BEYOND THAT, WE HAVE MEDICALRESEARCHERS, PEOPLE IN OURBIOTECH INDUSTRY WHO WANT TOWORK WITH THEIR CUBANCOUNTERPARTS OF INVESTED A GREATDEAL OF RESOURCES INTO CURINGDISEASES.WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN BEING AFREE COUNTRY.AMERICANS OUGHT TO HAVE THERIGHT TO BE ABLE TO TRAVELFREELY WHEREVER THEY WANT TO GO.PEOPLE CAN TRAVEL TO NORTH KOREAAND IRAN IF THEY GET A VISA FROMTHOSE COUNTRIES BUT YOU CANNOTTRAVEL TO CUBA BECAUSE THEUNITED STATES GOVERNMENT SAYSYOU CAN'T?THAT GOES AGAINST WHO WE ARE.IT'S A MISTAKE TO TURN BACK THECLOCK ON OUR RELATIONS WITHCUBA.ED: MONTH AGO, I SPENT A WEEKTHERE.THE PEOPLE OF CUBA ARE WELCOMINGTHE PEOPLE OF UNITED STATESWITH OPEN ARMS.THEY WANT TO EXPAND THERELATIONSHIP.REP. MCGOVERN: ABSOLUTELY.MY FIRST VISIT TO CUBA WAS IN1979.IT'S A MUCH DIFFERENT PLACE THATTHE EUROPEANS AND CANADIANS HAVERELATIONS WITH CUBA, TRADINGRELATIONS WITH CUBA.PRESIDENT OBAMA TOOK THE FIRSTSTEPS, WHICH I SUPPORTEDWHOLEHEARTEDLY.LET'S CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARDAND LIFT THE TRAVELRESTRICTIONS.I HAVE A BILL THAT WILL DO THAT.AND CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THEREFORMS THAT ARE BEGINNING TOTAKE HOLD IN CUBA.TO GO BACK TO A POLICY THAT HASFAILED MISERABLY FOR 50 YEARSMAKES NO SENSE.JANET: A SERIES OF LAWSUITS ARENOW MOVING THROUGH THE LEGALSYSTEM GOING AFTER PRESIDENTTRUMP ON THE -- DO YOU SEE ANYAFTERWARDS TOWARDS FORCING THEPRESIDENT TO REVEAL HIS PERSONALFINANCES?REP. MCGOVERN: I'M HOPING THECOURTS WILL TAKE IT UP.CONGRESS IS ABOUT TO FILE ALAWSUIT AS WELL.I'M ONE OF THE PEOPLE ON THATLAWSUIT.THE MAYOR CAN PEOPLE HAVE THERIGHT TO KNOW WHAT THEPRESIDENT'S FINANCES ARE,WHETHER THERE ARE ANYCONFLICTS OF INTEREST.THE FINANCIAL CONFLICTS OFINTEREST THAT THIS PRESIDENT HASHAS PUT THIS WHITE HOUSE ON ACOLLISION COURSE WITH CORRUPTION.I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHERADMINISTRATION WHERE THIS LACKOF TRANSPARENCY WOULD BETOLERATED.PEOPLE OUGHT TO KNOW WHETHERTHERE ARE CONFLICT OF INTEREST.THEY OUGHT TO KNOW WHEN THEPRESIDENT PUTS TOGETHER A TAXREFORM PLAN IF IT'S BENEFITINGHIM OR AVERAGE AMERICANS.AND THEY OUGHT TO KNOW WHETHERTHERE ARE FINANCIAL TIES WITHRUSSIA AND OTHER FOREIGNGOVERNMENTS.LET A LITTLE SUNSHINE IN.WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR.EVERY OTHER PRESIDENT HAS HAD TORELEASE THEIR TAX RETURNS.WHY SHOULD THIS PRESIDENT BE ANEXCEPTION?JANET: ARE YOU ANY MOREOPTIMISTIC TODAY THAN YOU WERETWO OR THREE MONTHS AGO?REP. MCGOVERN: I'M OPTIMISTIC INTHE SENSE THAT CONGRESS ISCOMING TOGETHER TRYING TO FIGUREOUT CONCRETE ACTIONS TO BE ABLETO IF NOT PERSUADE THE PRESIDENTTO COME CLEAN ON HIS TAX RETURNSTO MAYBE GET THE COURTSINVOLVED.I'M HOPING THE COURTS WILL TAKETHIS UP AND THAT THEY WILLDECIDE ON THE SITE OFTRANSPARENCY.ED: WE ARE READY FOR THE OTR POPQUIZ.ARE YOU READY?REP. MCGOVERN: PROBABLY NOT, BUTGO AHEAD.ED: QUESTION 1 -- AN AMERICANCOLLEGE STUDENT WAS RELEASEDFROM A NORTH KOREAN PRISON THISPAST WEEK.THE 22-YEAR-OLD WAS SENT HOME INA COMA.HE WAS SERVING 15 YEARS HARDLABOR FOR ALLEGED ANTI-STATEACTS.WHAT HAD OTTO WARMBIER DONE?WHAT DID HE DO ECH?REP. MCGOVERN: THE NORTH KOREANSACCUSED HIM OF BEING A SPY.ED: HE TRIED TO STEAL A BANNER.KEEPING WITH THE NORTH KOREANTHEME, WHAT HIGH PROFILEAMERICAN WAS IN THAT COUNTRYWHEN OTTO WARMBIER WAS RELEASED?REP. MCGOVERN: RODMAN.THE BASKETBALL PLAYER.ED: FORMER BASKETBALL BATBOYDENNIS RODMAN -- BAD BOY DENNISRODMAN.

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On The Record: Mass. Democrat reacts to Alexandria shooting - WCVB Boston

California congressman Eric Swalwell rolled up his sleeves and picked up the phone Saturday to encourage voters in Georgia's 6th Congressional District to vote in Tuesday's special election for Jon Ossoff, the Democrat vying to fill the House seat left vacant when President Trump tapped Republican Tom Price to serve as his Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Ossoff, a 30-year-old documentary-film producer and former congressional aide, is up against 55-year-old Republican Karen Handel, Georgia's former secretary of state.

Swalwell, who represents the San Francisco Bay area, tweeted a video of himself at a phone back at the IBEW Union Hall in Dublin, California, where he said nearly 100 people had gathered to phone voters in Georgia.

"Whats so amazing is that no one here has probably met Jon Ossoff, but they believe in his ability to work for this country, to reach across the aisle, and to do what we can to fight for working families again in this country," Swalwell said in the video. "Most of them told me today they have never been to Georgias 6th District, dont know anyone who lives there, but they feel a sense of responsibility to do their part to help Jon."

Also rallying Saturday for Ossoff was civil rights icon John Lewis, the Atlanta congressman from the neighboring 5th district, who spent the day campaigning with the Democratic candidate.

"Let's honor him ... and who all who sacrificed with him" by casting a ballot, Ossoff said of Lewis at one campaign stop.

And on the Republican side, Health Secretary Tom Price and Agriculture Secretary and former two-term Georgia governor Sonny Perdue, headed to Georgia to campaign for Handel.

"The leftists have gone and typecast and they've picked this young man -- charismatic, articulate -- and they've taught him a few Republican buzzwords," Perdue told Handel supporters. "They think he can fool you. It's not gonna happen."

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Rep. Eric Swalwell goes phone-banking for Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff - ABC News

Democrat Mike Collier officially announced his bid for the position in Round Rock Saturday afternoon.

Erin Jones, KVUE 6:42 PM. CDT June 17, 2017

There's a new candidate for Texas Lieutenant Governor.

Democrat Mike Collier officially announced his bid for the position in Round Rock Saturday afternoon.

A large crowd of supporters came to the Sharon Prete Main Street Plaza to hear his plan to take on Dan Patrick in 2018. He told the crowd they need a lieutenant governor that will bring Texas together, not apart.

He criticized Patrick on his priorities this legislative session, like the so-called bathroom bill. He says if he wins the race, he'll focus on fixing Texas' economy and school funding.

"We're very different in terms of public education," Collier said. "I'm pro-public education. I'm pro-teacher and retired teacher and he's not. We have very different points of view in terms of tax policy. I attribute high property taxes to republican fiscal policies. I'll show that on the campaign trail.

"When you look at what he stands for you'll see that he's trying to do good for everyone not just for certain interest groups," supporter Sharon Covey said.

Collier, a long time accountant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in the Houston area, was the Democratic nominee for comptroller in 2014. He lost to Glen Hegar. Saturday, he said his experience running in a statewide race will help him in this election cycle.

2017 KVUE-TV

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Democrat Mike Collier officially announces bid for Texas Lt Governor - KVUE

Up until a recreational congressional Republican baseball practice was shot up last week, the news media had been anticipating violence from one side. It just happened to be the wrong side.

Now after more than a year of suspiciously eyeing only President Trump supporters and Republicans for any sudden movements, the media are calling for "civility" from "both sides."

Otherwise the default position is to again blame Trump.

On Wednesday, 66-year-old James Hodgkinson sprayed bullets on a baseball field outside of Washington, D.C., where Republican Capitol Hill staffers and GOP Rep. Steve Scalise were practicing.

As of Friday, Scalise, the House majority whip, remained in critical condition after taking a shot to the hip. Four others were also injured.

Hodgkinson was a Bernie Sanders supporter who hated Trump, as his comments on social media showed.

But in the face of all evidence that Hodgkinson was a Democrat animated to go on a shooting rampage by his own political frustrations, New York Times political reporter Glenn Thrush looked to Trump.

"Any debate about civility in politics begins with Trump," he said Thursday on Twitter. "No one has degraded discourse more, while embracing the fringe."

Whatever "fringe" Trump appealed to, none of them have picked up an assault rifle to gun down a congressman.

That was a Bernie Bro.

In an effort to even the score between the GOP and Democrats, The New York Times editorial board chocked the incident up to "vicious American politics" and repeated the false claim that "the link to political incitement was clear" between 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and the 2011 shooting of then-Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

The paper later removed that part from its editorial, admitting that there was "no such link."

Hodgkinson's Facebook page showed that he belonged to the groups "Terminate the Republican Party" and "The Road to Hell is Paved with Republicans." One note on his Facebook said, "It's Time to Destroy Trump & Co."

But a bemused editorial in the Washington Post asked, "Who knows what mixture of madness and circumstance causes someone to pick up a gun and go on a rampage?"

The Washington Post then helped spread responsibility for the tragedy among everyone, saying that it should "cause a gut check about what passes for political discourse in this country."

Hodgkinson was a partisan Democrat. Before his shooting spree, he asked Reps. Ron DeSantis and Jeff Duncan as they left the field early whether it was Republicans or Democrats practicing.

But a willfully-clueless Scott Pelley of the CBS "Evening News" ended his Thursday night program decrying unspecified "leaders and political commentators who set an example" for having "led us into an abyss of violent rhetoric."

When an outspoken Democratic voter opens fire on a group of Republicans practicing baseball, the media blame everyone. Or just Trump.

It's the same thing they did during the 2016 campaign.

In May last year, anti-Trump protesters shut down a campaign rally in Albuquerque, N.M. Rioters lit the city ablaze, vandalized property, and threw rocks at cops.

But the New York Times said two months prior to the riot that it's Trump who "gives license to violence" for saying he'd like to "punch" a protester. The liberal Mother Jones said the same month that Trump is "basically encouraging violence now," and a headline at the website Vox declared that "the problem with violence at Trump rallies starts with Trump himself."

Why isn't any of the violence coming from the people who support the guy who's supposedly fueling it?

Kathy Griffin posed for a photo that depicted her holding a severed Trump head, but when a Democrat deliberately targets an elected Republican to take a bullet, the media ask that everyone be ashamed of themselves. Or at least Trump.

The national media were all too ready for violence to break out among whipped-up Trump supporters, but for more than a year, the violence has only come from one side.

It's not Trump's.

Eddie Scarry is a media reporter for the Washington Examiner.

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James Hodgkinson was a Democrat, but the media want 'both sides' to claim him - Washington Examiner