House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff warned Trump that if he defies a court order compelling him to turn over witnesses and documents, he will call for impeachment.
Adam Schiff lays out what it would take for him to support Trump impeachment
Transcript:
TAPPER: Let’s turn to the growing calls for the impeachment of President Trump. At least 75 House Democrats now, nearly a third of your caucus, support launching an impeachment inquiry. Now, the third ranking House Democrat, Jim Clyburn, told me on the show earlier this month he believed President Trump will eventually face impeachment proceedings. Do you agree?
SCHIFF: I don’t know the answer, Jake. Certainly, the administration and the president seem to be doing everything they can, everything they can to push us into an impeachment. And we may get there. We may get there. At this point, as you say, a third of our caucus is there, and two-thirds is not there. What would get me to that point is, if we get to a final court decision compelling administration to provide testimony and documents, and they still refuse, then I think we’re in a full-blown constitutional crisis that would compel that kind of remedy. I may get there before that point, Jake. So I continue to listen to people that I respect greatly within our caucus, constitutional lawyers like Larry Tribe and others, and weigh this, I think, every day, and have continued discussions with the speaker about it. But, at this point, I’m not prepared to recommend it.
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Trump will have to comply with the court order or be impeached
Rep. Schiff is playing it smart. He knows that Trump doesn’t want to be impeached, so he is giving the administration a choice. After the court rules in favor of the House, which it will, Trump can either turn over witnesses and documents or face impeachment. Chairman Schiff is not alone. If Democrats go through the judicial process, and Trump defies a court order, look for a majority if not all Democrats to support opening an impeachment investigation.
The endgame is unfolding faster than Trump wanted. The president isn’t going to be able to run out the clock on the investigations, and impeachment could be here by the end of summer.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
