House Republicans are ramping up their efforts to obtain recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur. As the House moves forward with contempt proceedings against Attorney General Merrick Garland for refusing to release these recordings, tensions between the legislative and executive branches are escalating.

The AP reported on the recent Thursday developments:

“Garland separately advised Biden in a letter made public Thursday that the audio falls within the scope of executive privilege, which protects a president’s ability to obtain candid counsel from his advisers without fear of immediate public disclosure and to protect confidential communications relating to official responsibilities.

Garland told reporters the Justice Department has gone to extraordinary lengths to provide information to the committees about special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation, including a transcript of Biden’s interview with Hur. But, Garland said, releasing the audio could jeopardize future sensitive and high-profile investigations. Officials have suggested handing over the tape could make future witnesses concerned about cooperating with investigators.”

The recordings are particularly contentious due to Hur’s characterization of Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory” in his final report. Republicans argue that access to the tapes would offer valuable insights beyond a written transcript. However, the Department of Justice has raised concerns about the House GOP’s motivations, suggesting they may be politically driven.

House committees are set to mark up reports recommending contempt resolutions against Garland. Despite Biden invoking executive privilege over the recordings, Republicans remain resolute in their pursuit. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan affirmed that their efforts will continue, asserting that the last-minute invocation of executive privilege does not alter the fact that Garland has not complied with the subpoena.

The White House’s decision to assert executive privilege has further fueled Republican criticism. House Oversight Chair James Comer labeled it a “hail mary” that changes nothing about their approach. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice urged Republicans to cancel their contempt proceedings, citing concerns over separation of powers and potential damage to law enforcement efforts.

Republicans argue that the audio recordings are crucial to their impeachment inquiry into Biden.

Garland has denounced these actions as “attacks on the Justice Department”, emphasizing its role in upholding the rule of law. Nevertheless, Republicans remain steadfast in pursuing the recordings, insisting they provide unique insights beyond written transcripts.

As the standoff between House Republicans and the executive branch intensifies, it shows the broader tensions over congressional oversight and the limits of executive privilege. The outcome of this dispute will likely have significant implications for the balance of power between the branches of government.

In a recent WarRoom discussion, Mike Davis and Steve Bannon attacked U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Biden administration for what they described as mishandling legal actions against former President Trump’s associates when the Trump associates evoked their executive privilege.

Bannon opens the WarRoom by calling Attorney General Merrick Garland a "worm” and also calls him, Deputy AG Lisa Monaco, and FBI Director Christopher Wray "thugs” while committing to "press the bet even more” as Garland faces a contempt of Congress charge from the House soon. pic.twitter.com/ATpTdV0RMr

— VISH BURRA 🏴‍☠️ (@VishBurra) May 16, 2024

And in a twist of irony, it is Democrat Gerrick Garland who is being discussed today on Capitol Hill for criminal charges for contempt of Congress.

In the discussion, Davis and Bannon characterized Garland as a “thug,” accusing him of orchestrating a raid on Trump’s residence, Mar-a-Lago, to retrieve presidential records. Davis had a lot to say about Garland’s actions.

Together, the pair argued that such actions encroach upon executive privilege, which Davis aid is a constitutional protection. Davis suggests that this raid serves as a smokescreen to shield President Biden from scrutiny regarding his handling of classified materials, and allegedly covering Biden’s actions up is the foundation for Congress to hold Garland in contempt.

DEMOCRATS ON DEFENSE FOR THE FIRST TIME—MERRICK GARLAND RATTLED

DAVIS: "Listen to AG Garland's statement. We are in his head. He's rattled. He's talking about defunding, how we're trying to defund these investigations before the election, how we're issuing subpoenas. They are… pic.twitter.com/m8wFoHjojW

— Grace Chong 🇺🇸 (@gc22gc) May 16, 2024

Davis delved into the prosecution of individuals like Peter Navarro and Bannon himself. Davis and Bannon contend that the Department of Justice, under Garland’s leadership, disregarded the Office of Legal Counsel’s opinion on executive privilege in these cases. Davis said he viewed this as a selective application of the law, tailored to target Trump affiliates.

Their discussion isn’t merely critical; it’s anticipatory. Davis and Bannon express hope that the Republican-controlled House of Representatives will exercise its impeachment authority to probe Biden for what they perceive as misconduct.

Both Bannon and Davis strongly advocated for a robust response from Congress to hold the current administration accountable. After weeks of Bannon demanding action, this appears to be coming to fruition.

Davis talked about the deep-seated distrust in the Biden administration’s handling of legal matters and a desire for robust oversight from the GOP-led House.

Resources:

AP reported on Biden’s use of executive Privilege

For more context, watch Mike Davis on the WarRoom: