Trey Gowdy Interview: Says his tenure in Congress was a waste of time

[kpete]

Sat down with Rep. Trey Gowdy this morning. He told me his tenure in Congress was a waste of time and the only goal of the Republican Party is to win elections. Bonus: He responds to Trump calling him “a loser.”


VIDEO:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

South Carolina Republican Trey Gowdy, who is retiring from Congress this year, told Vice News' Michael C. Moynihan that he felt being in Congress was largely a waste of time, as it was bogged down by "ineffectiveness." And asked what he makes of the Republican party in 2018, he said "the goal is to win" — that's it.

Why it matters: 37 House Republicans have said they're not running for re-election this year, upping the odds Democrats retake the House.

Sound bites:

"We've convinced ourselves that we have to because the country will go to Hades in a hand basket if my team doesn't win," Gowdy said.

"To the extent men judge themselves based on what they do for a living, I don't have a lot to show for the last seven years."

MORE:
https://www.axios.com/trey-gowdy-the-only-purpose-of-the-republican-party-is-to-win-elections-1523010505-1f588526-3795-45d7-8148-1c8bc3521e06.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic&utm_content=1100

[Cha]

1. Wow! Who turned Trey

Gowdy!?

[NewJeffCT]

3. Now that he's not running for re-election

He's gotten his spine re-inserted into his back.

[Cha]

4. Yeah, but some never get it.. even if

they're out of the game.

But, he definitely wouldn't be winning any elections with his new truth telling attitude about trump and the doormats.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Not Necessarily Direct Cause

Look at Gingrich and Bachmann, et al.

Geez, his own people ran Gingrich out of town on a rail and he's still carrying water for them. And Bahmann is the same crazy bomb thrower she's always been.

There's more to it with Gowdy, i think.

[NewJeffCT]

8. I think Gingrich is still hoping for a post in the Trump White House

and, in 2012, he was temporarily the Right Wing alternative to Mitt Romney, so maybe hopes to run again in 2020?

Same with Giuliani.

[ProfessorGAC]

11. Well He Better Get It Soon

If the dems even tie the Senate, he's toast. And, since it's the R's that ran him out of town, there are probably Senators on his side right now that wouldn't give him the time of day.

So, he might be hoping for a cabinet spot but i'd say the chances or slim to none.

Chief of Staff after Kelly goes?

[NewJeffCT]

14. To be honest, Gingrich would likely be more competent

in the role than a lot of other Trump cabinet appointees. Not that I agree with his politics at all, but at least he knows DC.

[ProfessorGAC]

20. Could Be A "That Was Then" Thing, Though

I kind of agree, but his clout evaporated a long time ago.

[Pepsidog]

37. Wow, the thought of this is repulsive.

[Zoonart]

2. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, Trey....Pin Head!

[imanamerican63]

5. So, kissing Trump's golden throne wasn't what you thought?

[HAB911]

7. Correct on both counts

[Gamecock Lefty]

9. Gowdy Phony!

He's talking all bigly now that he's retiring, but Gowdy was a proud participant of partisan politics for years.

If he's really sincere he can start off by apologizing to Hillary for dragging her into numerous mindless investigations.

But I'm doubting his sincerity and I'm not buying his conversion.

[kentuck]

10. I have noticed a deep change in Trey Gowdy since he got the chance to read the evidence...

...when he was a member of the House Intel Committee, and was chosen by Devin Nunes as the only Rep on the Committee to go and read the secret documents about Carter Page, and who knows what else?

Maybe he saw enough to change his mind about something?

[peggysue2]

12. Strange about that turn around, eh?

Timing is everything. I think you're right. I'm more than a little suspicious that Gowdy, Captain of the Benghazi Witch Hunt, had a change of heart. Or his conscience was suddenly pricked.

Something rattled his cage, the sort of something that comes close and personal. He's getting out while the getting's good.

[IluvPitties]

15. Dude doesn't want to be marked by history.

At least he has a conscience.

[mountain grammy]

22. He actually has a conscience.

maybe he grew it after an 11 hour beat down that left his "female victim" looking stronger and smarter than the entire GOP, and the contrast with the "men" of this fake administration.

[marble falls]

31. I'm a little skeptical of 11th hour conversions, particularly after they 'retire'...

I would hope he'd stay in office and try to fix his mistakes. Bit if we get a Democrat into the seat that would be better.

[mountain grammy]

42. Oh, I'm skeptical too..

and when he said he backed trump because he "knew" the other candidate.. what bullshit, that was just one thing he said in that interview that really got to me. It does appear he's had a revelation of some kind, or, there's just more money in lobbying and he can "stay home." We'll see what old Trey does, but he is sounding sane here.

I commented before I watched the interview and I know i shouldn't do that..

[marble falls]

43. You and I both believe that one day one of the nitwits will 'come to Jesus' and do the right thing..

I do believe it could happen, its just that Trey ain't the one.

[mountain grammy]

47. and you're probably right.

I heard someone say, I found peace by giving up hope. I'm there.

[Pepsidog]

40. I think you are on to something. Maybe he cannot, like most Rs, watch Putin play the Rs

as the fools the are. Just think back to Rocky 4 and Top Gun, who was the villain in those movies? Russia. There was a time when all Americans knew who the enemy was and now to see the President and the Repugs sit back and watch Putin shit all over our country sickens me. What happened to American patriotism? How in the hell did we get to this point where an American President is under the thumb of a mafia state leader? Say what you want, and I despise Gowdy for what he did for 7 years, but at least he has spoken up against his party. Better now than never. He won’t disavow his treatment of Hillary or the part he has played in dividing the country, but some contrition is better than none.

[Captain Stern]

13. Headline is a little misleading. Gowdy didn't call Trump a loser.

Gowdy responded to being called a loser by Trump.

[kpete]

36. thanks

for pointing that out for me

appreciated and fixed,
kp

[BumRushDaShow]

16. "the only goal of the Republican Party is to win elections"

That's all they care about so that they can implement a dystopian version of the U.S.

And HE contributed to that destruction of America.

[Botany]

17. So says the asshole who ran the never ending Benghazi/Hillary hearings in the ...

.... hope of damaging Hillary's chance of winning an election.

[NCTraveler]

18. He did not call Trump a loser in the video.

This guy proves over and over again why he is such a piece of shit.

[Orsino]

19. The only goal of the Republican Party is the rich getting richer.

That's why they cheat to win elections, Gowdy. You were there.

[dlk]

21. Gowdy is Still Smarting over his Loss to Hillary over Benghazi

He couldn't make any of the bogus charges stick and his cronies are blaming him for the very public and expensive loss. Now he's ready to move on to bigger and better things.

[Paladin]

23. That's nice, Mr. Gowdy. Now go fuck yourself, for the rest of your life. (nt)

[smirkymonkey]

25. +1000

[cstanleytech]

24. Gowdy can go shove it up his ass.

He and the other Repugnants had years to get off their ass and work with President Obama to create good legislation however they deliberately chose to work against him and not with him at all.

[Pepsidog]

41. Agree

[Javaman]

26. so the arsonist is apologizing...

fuck him.

[muntrv]

27. Waste of time? Like Benghazeeeeeeeeee?

[BSdetect]

32. Maybe he'll pay back all his income from that little episode?

[HopeAgain]

38. Exactly! Who chose to waste his time? Trey did!

[madaboutharry]

28. In the words of the late Maya Angelou

"When people show you who they are, believe them the first time."

Fuck you, Trey Gowdy. Too late to change your legacy, Mr. BenGhazi.

[RestoreAmerica2020]

46. "A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything"

[Gothmog]

29. Howdy Gowdy is a really a very weak attorney

[Mike Nelson]

30. Gowdy come lately...

...he wasted time running after Hillary Clinton. He spent a lot of time carefully constructing questions to make her look like a guilty liar, when she wasn't guilty. I wonder if he is responsible for putting any innocent people in prison?

[BSdetect]

33. If the cap fits - he most likely chased conviction quotas whatever the cost to innocents

[BoneyardDem]

34. So...Mr. Benghazi has figured it out?

I'd bet he doesn't notice or realize or acknowledge his own contribution to the current occupier of the WH and the undermining of our Democracy!

[Catherine Vincent]

35. Gowdy would know about wasting time

He's an expert on it.

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

39. I don't have a lot to show for the last seven years."

Sure you do. The damage, all the blatant lies and the bogus investigations. The bribes you surely took and the votes you made detrimental to your constituents.

That's quite a list right there.

[JHB]

44. Waiting for your apologies, since what you DO have to show...

...is sustained smear jobs and “goal is to win” political vandalism.

Two people in particular you should ap9logize to, President Obama and Secretary Clinton.

But, then, there area few things that come before “the goal is to win”. One of them is “no apologies, we did nothing wrong”, right?

[DFW]

45. This is why Republicans loathe Republicans with an intellect

They all sound the same on Fox Noise and when leading their congressional witch hunts and their anti-libbrul election campaigns, but those few of them who actually know what they are doing have to be saying "WTF?" a lot in private. The point apparently DOES come for some (far too few, of course) where they say, I cannot bear this depraved standard in public with a straight face any longer.

Like a clever magician, they have fun at it as long as they can fool their audience. However, the same tricks performed over and over and over again will bore even the most enthusiastic of audiences, especially after they have long ago figured how the tricks are done. The point has been reached where even many loyal Republicans are starting to ask, "come ON, man, is that ALL you got?" Gowdy has just confirmed it: yep, that's all we've got, and it bores even me. Like a perceptive partner in a bad marriage, Gowdy is just saying, "I just can't do this any more."