Donald Trump tore into Rep. Adam Schiff in harsh terms on Tuesday, taking a moment from his overseas tour in London to call the House Intelligence Committee chairman a “maniac” and a “deranged human being” over his handling of the impeachment inquiry.
Trump was speaking to reporters alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of a NATO summit, when he was asked what he would hope to learn from having Schiff testify in a possible Senate impeachment trial — a scenario some Republicans would like to see.
“I learn nothing from Adam Schiff, I think he’s a maniac,” Trump said. “I think Adam Schiff is a deranged human being. I think he grew up with a complex for lots of reasons that are obvious. I think he’s a very sick man, and he lies.”
The comments demonstrated how the impeachment fight has followed Trump even as he meets with world leaders in London on issues ranging from defense spending to ISIS. Trump focused Tuesday on a controversial move by Schiff in September, where he read out a hyperbolic account of Trump’s controversial July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I have a favor I want from you,” Schiff said in a hearing while appearing to read from a piece of paper. “And I’m going to say this only seven times, so you better listen good. I want you to make up dirt on my political opponent, understand? Lots of it, on this and on that.”
Schiff later chalked up his fictional summary of the phone call to a joke as he came under fire from conservatives for making up quotes.
“My summary of the president’s call was meant to be at least, part, in parody,” Schiff said. “The fact that that’s not clear is a separate problem in and of itself. Of course, the president never said, ‘If you don’t understand me I’m going to say it seven more times.’ My point is, that’s the message that the Ukraine president was receiving in not so many words.”
Trump has repeatedly criticized Schiff for the move.
“This guy is sick,” he said on Tuesday. “If he didn’t do that in the halls of Congress, he’d be thrown in jail.”
WATCH:
Trump on Adam Schiff: "I think he's a maniac. I think Adam Schiff is a deranged human being. I think he grew up with a complex for lots of reasons that are obvious. I think he's a very sick man." pic.twitter.com/Ta591vESgj [1]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 3, 2019 [2]
Twitter was sickened:
“He’s a deranged maniac. He lies. He grew up with some complex.” ~ @realDonaldTrump [3]
Tang said this about @RepAdamSchiff [4] but we ALL know he is describing himself. His psyche is so damaged he can’t see or say the truth about himself so he PROJECTS.
He is a WHOLE mess.
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) December 3, 2019 [5]
Deranged.
Very sick man.
I know we’ve gotten inured, still extraordinary to hear a President of US speak this way about a congressional committee chairman while overseas at a NATO meeting.
— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) December 3, 2019 [6]
Trump just called Adam Schiff a "maniac," and a "deranged human being," adding that he thinks Schiff "grew up w/ complexes." And he's calling him a liar.
And he's getting away w/ it.
Now he's calling Pelosi a liar; now he says they're all "deranged"
WHO will tell him to STFU?!
— SoxOnTheBrain ⚾️ (@SoxOnTheBrain) December 3, 2019 [7]
This is on foreign soil. https://t.co/TUZrkHCncP [8]
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) December 3, 2019 [9]