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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Wednesday appointed a pair of Donald Trump’s allies — and prominent election deniers — to the powerful House Intelligence Committee.
Both Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) and Ronny Jackson (R-TX) will now be privy to highly classified documents that other members of Congress do not have access to.
Usually, the seats on the panel are given to lawmakers with a background in intelligence. That is not the case here.
In fact, if you know anything about this pair, then you know the word “intelligence” is not usually used in the same sentence with their names. And, quite frankly, these are not the kind of people who should have access to classified information.
Perry was a prominent figure in Trump’s attempted coup. He was implicated in the scheme to such a degree that federal authorities seized his cellphone and a judge ordered him to turn over hundreds of emails and text messages to the FBI.
“I look forward to providing not only a fresh perspective, but conducting actual oversight — not blind obedience to some facets of our Intel Community that all too often abuse their powers, resources, and authority to spy on the American People,” Perry said.
Generally, there is nothing wrong with that sentiment, but he is not exactly the kind of guy who can be trusted. It would be nice if there were a rule that members of some committees should not have participated in trying to overthrow the rightfully elected president.
And then there is Jackson, another election denier.
Formerly a rear admiral, he once served as White House physician and is known for his effusive praise of Trump’s health.
Jackson also is the one who performed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment on the former president. Though this test is usually given to dementia patients, Trump continues to brag about his performance, which he claims included picking a whale out of a series of animals (and that may also have been a lie).
As a reward for this loyalty, Trump nominated him to become the secretary of Veterans Affairs. However, Jackson withdrew his nomination after an internal Pentagon probe discovered professional misconduct, such as making “sexual and denigrating” comments about a female subordinate, violating the drinking policy on presidential trips, and taking prescription sleeping medication that raised concerns as to whether he would be able to provide proper medical care.
And, even though Jackson was demoted to captain as a result, the lawmaker still refers to himself as a retired US Navy rear admiral.
Just another beacon of honesty and integrity.
In other words, these aren’t the guys you want to trust with pet-sitting… and certainly not the nation’s secrets.
But these appointments are not about that; they are about bolstering the MAGA contingent on the Intelligence Committee.
“Congrats to Ronny Jackson and Scott Perry on these very significant appointments,” tweeted Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). “President Trump now has MAJOR REINFORCEMENTS for his plan to obliterate the Deep State. This is now the most Pro-Trump intel committee we have ever had. By far.
