Schiff: Trump jail threat ‘about sending a message that no one better hold him to account’

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said President-elect Trump’s threat to throw members of the House committee that investigated rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in jail is a signal “that no one better hold him to account.”

“This is not just about retribution against those of us on the committee,” Schiff said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday.

“This is about sending a message that no one better hold him to account in his second term. … He is intent on trying to break down these checks and balances in our system,” Schiff added, referring to Trump. “That’s where the danger lies more so than to the members of the committee.”

During his first sit-down interview since winning the election in November, Trump indicated to “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker that he would not explicitly order those he’s appointing to top positions to go after his political enemies, but he referenced jailing members who served on the House panel that investigated Jan. 6.

“All of us that worked on the Jan. 6 committee are proud of the work that we did,” said Schiff, who served on the panel. “We exposed one of the darkest chapters of our history when a president incited a violent attack on the Capitol just to try to stop the peaceful transfer of power.”

Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who served on the Jan. 6 committee, also spoke out against Trump’s threat, calling his remarks an “assault on the rule of law.”

“Here is the truth: Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize power,” she said in the statement provided to The Hill.

Meanwhile, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who also sat on the committee, said he has “absolutely no worries” that Trump will put him behind bars.

President Biden is considering preemptive pardons for those who may be targeted under the incoming Trump administration, which has been met with a divided response.

“I have more confidence in our system [to be] able to withstand potential abuses of power by the president. … I think the courts are strong enough to withstand the worst of his threats. And I don’t think a preemptive pardon makes sense,” Schiff told NPR last month.

“I think this is frankly so implausible as not to be worthy of much consideration. I would urge the president not to do that. I think it would seem defensive and unnecessary.”

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.