drama in DC today the head of the House
Judiciary Committee threatening to get
tough with the White House legal counsel
over the full Mullah report meanwhile
the president's personal attorney Rudy
Giuliani he is raising eyebrows with a
trip to Eastern Europe our DC bureau
chief Ross Palumbo following it all on
this busy Friday at the White House
Ross and Lauren Calvin we begin with
breaking news the House Ways and Means
Committee has just issued two subpoenas
for the president's tax returns you
remember that committee had asked for
them according to a law already standing
did not get them now they take the
taking the formal step of issuing this
subpoena and giving them until May 17th
to get those to the committee in the
meantime we're also learning today from
the House Judiciary Committee that
special counsel robert muller will not
be testifying as expected next week
special counsel robert muller not
testifying before congress after a week
where the president first said he would
not fight it that's up to Attorney
General I've already said publicly I
have no objection Trump then flipping by
tweeting Bob Muller should not testify
and then flipping back to where he was
in the beginning I'm gonna leave that up
to our very great Attorney General and
he'll make a decision on that in the
wake of the Mullen report now that the
Judiciary Committee has held bill
barring contempt for not releasing all
of it guys have it chairman Jerry Nadler
today saying former White House Counsel
dun McGann could face the same if he
defies his subpoena to testify if we
have to we'll hold him in contempt if he
doesn't have a subpoena
and all of this has Democrats now warned
that the president's personal attorney
Rudy Giuliani is going down the same
path that sparked the Russia
investigation to begin with it is
shocking to know that the president's
personal lawyer with his knowledge and
apparently approval is once again
seeking the help of a foreign power to
interfere in our political process the
outrage as Giuliani plans to travel to
the Ukraine to speak with that country's
president-elect about the seeds of
America's Russia probe and investigate
presidential candidate Joe Biden's
dealings there we've come to a very
sorry state
when it's considered okay for an
American politician meanwhile another
political hit on the President as former
FBI director James Comey says there is
evidence the president obstructed
justice and he's certain Trump would be
charged if he wasn't president do you
agree yeah I agree no doubt no doubt
Trump firing back tweeting James Comey
is a disgrace to the FBI Trump himself
now focusing on China as the two largest
economies in the world now face off in a
trade war negotiations breaking down
last night and Trump's tariffs on many
Chinese goods now jumping from 10 to 25%
we're not gonna be taken advantage of
anymore the president sending out a
flurry of tweets all morning long to
allay fears insane tariffs will make our
country much stronger not weaker also
breaking at this hour we're just getting
word that the acting Defense Secretary
Patrick Shanahan has ordered more
Patriot missiles be deployed to the
Middle East Lauren Calvin this is
because of those escalating tensions
with Iran you remember just a few days
ago an aircraft carrier was also sent to
the area of course it is breaking right
now any new information we'll get it out
to you in this newscast for now though
that's really it it's live from the
White House back to you and Ross any
repercussions at all legal repercussions
if the president and the White House do
not turn over those tax documents that
they've been asking for or the IRS for
that matter well it's actually the the
House Ways and Means Committee is
actually acting asking forgive me for
the IRS and the Treasury Department to
release those tax return and this is
really a legal strategy here Kalvin
they're going to issue the subpoena if
it's not complied with and they will
have a route to go directly to court to
get them and Ross what else do you know
about rudy giuliani's trip how long is
he going to be there and what else is
behind all this well we don't know much
more about that trip it was just
announced today Lorie Rudy Giuliani
going to the Ukraine and basically
asking them to investigate this is
precisely why the Trump campaign was
investigated their possible ties getting
to Russia getting foreign help from them
and it looks like the Democrats that
Rudy Giuliani is essentially trying to
do the
same thing instead of asking us
authorities to go over there investigate
he's asking for their government to
investigate and that Democrats say is
cooperating with a foreign government
Ross Palumbo will be checking back with
you late tonight a lot going on thanks
so much