Washington Free Beacon editor in chief Matthew Continetti weighed in on new developments in the Russia investigation on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday.
Anchor Chuck Todd mentioned President Donald Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen's claim that then-candidate Trump didn't know about the infamous Trump Tower meeting and how Cohen's accusation is starting to make Capitol Hill Republicans "very nervous."
"Talked to a few Republicans this week who the combination of the disastrous Helsinki summit with this news, Matthew, is starting to make Capitol Hill Republicans very nervous. Senator Portman, he didn't like those Michael Cohen questions. He didn't want -- he didn't want to have anything to say. There are a lot of other Republican senators, they don't seem to be as ready to just take the president's side as they were even two weeks ago," Todd said.
Continetti responded that Senate Republicans, much like the Trump administration, would rather have Cohen and special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation go away.
"They, like the Trump administration, would rather Robert Mueller go away. And I think Cohen's claim that the president knew about the Trump Tower meeting is basically a message to Robert Mueller and saying that this claim, given the evidence, if he has any, which he has not produced to date, would help you, Robert Mueller, in your construction of an obstruction of justice case against the president," Continetti said. "That's where it seems to me the Mueller investigation has been trending for some time. This would be another bullet point in that eventual report to Congress where Robert Mueller would say, yes, the president interfered with this investigation."
Trump responded to Cohen's claim that he knew in advance about the Trump Tower meeting and suggested Cohen was making stories up for his own personal benefit.
Continetti noted that no matter what the news is, Trump's base is always there to support him and "nothing changes."
"It's the case that when the spotlight is on Russia, when the spotlight is on Michael Avenatti and Stormy Daniels, the president's base rallies to him," Continetti said. "I was struck by the week that Donald Trump was elected president, his personal favorability rating according to gallup was 36 percent. Last month, Gallup asked the same question. Donald Trump's personal favorability rating was 36 percent. Nothing changes."