Watters: Dems' threat to withhold Trump admin officials' salaries 'brass knuckle tactics'

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House Democrats schedule vote to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt; reaction and analysis on 'The Five.'

Fox News' Jesse Watters said Tuesday that tensions between the White House and congressional Democrats escalated to "brass knuckle tactics" when a Democratic House committee chairman reportedly threatened to withhold the salaries of top officials of government agencies who do not comply with his panel's investigations.

In a news release, House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said he advised the Department of the Interior in writing that "any official at the Department who 'prohibits or prevents' or 'attempts or threatens to prohibit or prevent' any officer or employee of the Federal Government from speaking with the Committee could have his or her salary withheld pursuant to section 713 of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act."

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Other departments were sent similar letters, according to the release.

"Those are some brass-knuckle tactics," Watters said on "The Five."

"Why can't we withhold their salaries, by the way?" Watters asked, referring to congressional Democrats. "They've lied for two years about the president."

"Why can't we withhold their salaries, by the way? They've lied for two years about the president."

— Jesse Watters, on Fox News' "The Five"

Watters said the situation could be described as "political warfare."

He remarked that it would be difficult to withhold President Trump's salary, because the president has made it a custom to donate the full amount to a government department he believes needs the funds.

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Dana Perino, who served in the George W. Bush administration, said she had never heard of such a threat being made during her time in Washington.

Earlier in the segment, Perino played video of other Democrats strongly defending several ongoing investigations into the administration.

"As members of Congress, we have a responsibility to oversee what this White House and this administration is doing," said U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii. "I can only hope as the months go by that the American people will wake up to the fact that our democracy is in danger."