US president Joe Biden has rejected former president Donald Trump's executive privilege claims and has ordered White House visitor logs to be released to the panel investigating the deadly January 6th, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing a letter to the National Archives.
In a statement last week, the White House said it was clear to Americans that the attack on the US Capitol on Jauary 6th, 2021 was not "legitimate political discourse" after the Republican Party censured two lawmakers investigating the events of that day and used the term to criticise the probe.
"Storming the Capitol in an attempt to halt the peaceful transition of power is not legitimate political discourse. Neither is attacking and injuring over 140 police officers, smashing windows and defiling offices," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said.
Top US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell has also criticised his party's censure of two prominent Republican critics of Donald Trump, joining an intra-party battle that could upend his efforts to project an image of party moderation in this year's midterm elections.
"The issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority. That's not the job of the RNC," Mr McConnell told a news conference.
The controversy comes as Republicans are hoping to regain majorities in the House and Senate in the November 8th midterm elections.
Mr McConnell, the Senate minority leader and one of his party's most wily political tacticians, has been trying to paint Mr Biden as a former moderate radicalised by the Democratic Party's left wing. Projecting an image of moderation for the Republicans could help the party's Senate candidates in key states.
