Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and NBC News political director Chuck Todd sparred over whether the Department of Justiceâs (DOJ) investigation into high-profile officialsâ handling of classified documents is evidence of political weaponization.
During a segment on NBCâs âMeet The Pressâ Sunday, Jordan and moderator Todd debated the differences between the investigations into President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trumpâs handling of classified documents.
The discussion was originally about House Republicansâ probe into the alleged weaponization of the DOJ.
Todd argued, âThe problem when you look at it is you want to talk about the weaponization of the Justice Department. You donât want to look at anything that happened during the Trump years.â
His comments led Jordan to recount several examples he believes could be the result of the weaponization of the DOJ. One example was the FBIâs execution of a search warrant at Trumpâs Mar-a-Lago estate in August.
However, Todd interjected, âYou keep talking about this raid on Donald Trump. The amount of time â there was nine months between the initial action that the archives made for requests of documents before they even turned it over to the Justice Department.â
âThe subpoena was issued 60 days before they actually executed the subpoena. And more importantly, the only time the public found out about it is because Donald Trump told the public about it,â he continued.
Todd referenced the months-long effort to retrieve classified documents from Trumpâs property that preceded the search of Mar-a-Lago.
The moderator went on:
âYou paint it as a picture of the FBI did this, this, and this within hours of each other, when it was actually a year and a half of Donald Trump not complying with any of the requests from National Archives. A year and a half. This is not some sort of proof that somehow that theyâve weaponized and playing Politics over here.â
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Jordan shot back, âThey raided Trumpâs home; they havenât raided Bidenâs home.â
However, Todd noted, âBecause Biden didnât defy a subpoena, congressman! defied a subpoena. By the way, he had 60 days to comply with the subpoena before they actually executed the search warrant.â
âPresident Trump had documents locked in a room with Secret Service protecting them. President Biden had documents in his garage and in a think tank that was funded by the Chinese. I think thereâs a difference,â Jordan countered.
Finally, Todd replied, âYou do not seem to ever see the same conspiratorial problems when itâs a Republican.â
The exchange comes as Trump and Biden are both facing special counsel investigations into their handling of classified documents.
