On Sunday’s broadcast of ABC’s “This Week,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said the impeachment of President Donald Trump would not be a failure if the Senate acquits him.
Partial transcript as follows:
STEPHANOPOULOS: That’s Chairman — that’s Chairman Nadler’s position, Chairman Schiff. But, apparently, right now, you haven’t persuaded a majority of Republicans that it’s worthy of impeachment. And back in March, you also warned against that. You said: “The only thing worse than putting the country through the trauma of impeachment is putting the country through the trauma of a failed impeachment.” If President Trump is overwhelmingly acquitted in the Senate, is that a failure?
SCHIFF: No, it isn’t a failure. At least, it’s not a failure in the sense of our constitutional duty in the House. And I will tell you what changed my mind, George, because you’re right. I resisted going down this road towards impeachment. But it was two things. It was the discovery of the most egregious conduct to date. It was one thing with the president invited foreign interference as a candidate, when he couldn’t use the power of his office to make it so.
It was another when, as president of the United States, he withheld hundreds of millions of dollars to coerce an ally, betray our national security, and try to cheat in the next election. That was not something we could turn away from.
But it was one more fact, George, that I think made it inexorable. And that is the fact that it was the day after Bob Mueller testified, the day after Donald Trump felt that he was beyond accountability for his first misconduct, that he was back on the phone, this time with President Zelensky, trying to get that country to help him cheat in the next election.
That told me, this president believes he is above the law and accountable to no one, and that this road was necessary. And I think it very much is.
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