"I never FELT pressured" is NOT the same as "I was never pressured."

[Chiyo-chichi]

And it's certainly not the same as "the president never asked if I could help make the Russia investigation go away."

Coats & Rogers made almost identical statements about how they "felt."

With all due respect, I don't care how they felt. I care about what happened.

[Sancho]

1. Exactly...these guys have all used weasel words....

and they have not denied what Trump asked them to do.

[riversedge]

2. Seems one of the Dem Senators tried to make that point but did not get far.

[berksdem]

3. I thought Warner

was courteous and tactful but was shut down pretty hard. Still need to let the process to unfold... most likely behind closed doors.

[MattP]

4. Rubio just floored me with a great question

[Chiyo-chichi]

6. Yes, he did.

But Coats won't answer.

[Sancho]

10. Rubio went there, and they scurried like roaches under the table....

either they are guilty of perjury, or they will refuse to answer.

[RKP5637]

30. These guys are walking a fine line. n/t

[kydo]

11. I know, right.

Total shocked. This can not be go go boots Rubio. I am shocked.

[OliverQ]

17. I missed it, what did he ask?

[MattP]

21. "Can you say white house never asked you to influence investigation"

And a couple follow ups

[Phoenix61]

26. What!!!

Little Rubio is jumping off the Trump train wreck?

[YCHDT]

25. The answer to Rubios question then is yes cause a no would be VERY VERY easy to answer

[Chiyo-chichi]

5. Was it Idaho's Jim Risch who jumped in there and said to Coats:

"thank you for telling us that no one, including the president, pressured you."?

THAT'S NOT WHAT HE SAID!

Risch has a 97.6% Trump score at 538.

[Moostache]

29. Get ready for a very steady diet of that tonight...

The Faux Noise machine and right wing radio are probably already running that under an "ALERT!!!" banner and their talking head morons will run it all day and night....

[riversedge]

7. Rubio actually just now asked if 'asked' by WH....and Coats said not respond in open meeting.

[bigtree]

8. right

these are legal defenses being offered by these administration-friendly officials.

However, Trump will be judged initially (if that occurs) in a political arena, not a court. What he said to these individuals deserves a public airing, so Americans can judge for themselves whether his actions were appropriate.

[berni_mccoy]

9. Rubio is going after them on this point. I'm shocked.

Coats won't answer the question. Rubio knows something.

[SJMULE]

12. exactly

If Coats wasn't going to interfere with Comey regardless, why would he "feel" pressure? It's all semantics, they continue to deny answering whether they were "asked". You ask the cashier to slip a few donuts in your bag with your coffee order, she declines politely. Is that pressure?

[procon]

13. Rubio -- I know! -- just asked a key question, if he was ever 'asked'.

Not if he 'felt', but if he had ever been 'asked'. He dodged the question.

[PoorMonger]

14. They Are Hiding Behind Trump Ignorance

And general incompetence to cover for his actions : as they are saying that he honestly has no idea how government or its institutions work. Thus when he 'asks' them to commit obstruction as long as they don't follow through it's as if nothing happened. But the knowledge that what he was asking was potentially criminal is in his insistence that he be left alone with them while he 'asks'.

Also ; where is Nunez in this? It seems to me that when he put these feelers out and tries to get everyone on board to push back Nunez was the only one who took the 'question' as marching orders.

[riversedge]

15. Clearly Coats & Rodgers were pressured by DT to kill the investigation. The cover up intensifies. Th

These two are clearly withholding some information.




Rob Reiner?Verified account @robreiner

Clearly Coats & Rodgers were pressured by DT to kill the investigation. The cover up intensifies. The truth will come out. #ImpeachTrump

Link to tweet

[riversedge]

22. "what you feel is irrelavant" says Sen king. Spot on!

[Chiyo-chichi]

24. Yes!

Thank you, Senator King!

[furtheradu]

27. Loved that!

We don't care about your dang feefees!

[Adrahil]

16. Yeah... and their answers are very lawyerly.

Whenever asked directly about it, they decline to answer. VERY telling.

[WinkyDink]

18. It is up to the interrogator to be precise in his wording and to insist on precise answers.

[renate]

19. "pressured" (or "directed") / "asked"

They must realize that people are going to parse their words afterwords, even if they deflect questions during their testimony. I guess they're just buying time and hoping to get out of there today before the Democratic senators realize their answers are incomplete.

(I'm not watching, so maybe I'm wrong about their specific choice of words not being followed up on.)

Edit: Wow! Rubio followed up?!?!

[Grammy23]

20. So much parsing of words.

Nothing will come out today. Nothing. Understand that. Maybe behind closed doors...they are dropping little hints, falling back on national security issues. No willingness to discuss "anything" related to Russia. So go on about your business today and just figure that later...rather than sooner we might learn something....remember "depends on what the meaning of IS is"? Well, now we're defining what "felt pressured" means.

Nobody spilling their guts today. Rogers seems a little...shall we say.....Tense.....all are a bit testy, even though they knew what would be asked today. Chill pills needed by all.

[Chiyo-chichi]

23. Angus King is giving it to them!

[Smickey]

28. The word "pressured" is subjective.

What I believe is pressuring in nature may not put you under pressure at all. It's all perception, abilty to handle anxiety and ones own intellegence. imo

[jberryhill]

31. I wanted "We are looking for facts, not your feelings."