Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump pushed in February for his nomination of the Internal Revenue Service's chief counsel to be fast-tracked in the Senate, even before the chamber held confirmation hearings on Trump's pending nominee for attorney general, The New York Times reported Thursday. Trump asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on February 5 to prioritize Michael Desmond's confirmation vote over William Barr for attorney general, a person familiar with the conversation told the Times. The President told McConnell that Desmond, who was first considered by the Senate Finance Committee in July, was increasingly frustrated with the delay and considering withdrawing himself from the process, a source told the Times. The report comes amid a renewed push from House Democrats to see Trump's tax returns, which he has long resisted disclosing, a break with a tradition dating back decades for presidential candidates. White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley declined to tell the newspaper about the specifics of Trump and McConnell's discussion.

Source: CNN April 05, 2019 11:26 UTC