Blumenthal: Trump’s ‘Abject Criminality’ Exactly Why Founders Created Impeachment

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Situation Room,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) argue President Donald Trump’s “abject criminality” in his dealings with Ukraine was exactly why the Founding Fathers created the process of impeachment.

Blumenthal said, “I know from having talked to a number of my colleagues, I know her misgivings reflect the strong reservations that a number of my Republican colleagues feel about this charade and sham that apparently McConnell wants at the behest of the White House. For him to say that he will not be impartial, that he will take his cues from the White House, that he will be acting hand in glove, as Senator Murkowski said, with President Trump, that in effect puts the defendant in charge of his own trial. And that offends a number of my Republican colleagues. And, frankly, there’s also a court of appeals here. The court of public opinion. They’re at home right now, and they are hearing from their constituents, as I am here in Connecticut, that they want a full and fair trial. I think they’re going to want to be avoiding the appearance of being puppets, enablers of an unfair and sham proceeding.”

He continued, “Certainly on these initial votes that set the rules for this trial, her courage could be contagious. But remember that these witnesses and documents may, in fact, contain very incriminating additional evidence. and that’s profoundly important in a trial that involves such abject criminality, in effect, holding hostage taxpayer funds, military aid for an ally fighting for its life in return for personal support and favors. That kind of bribery and abuse of power is exactly what the founders sought to prevent through the impeachment proceeding. And I think that witnesses and documents are not only necessary for a full, fair proceeding, but also could present very strong additional evidence. By the way, I think the evidence right now is overwhelming. I’m willing to listen to more evidence if the president has any evidence that shows his innocence, but right now, as a former prosecutor, I could say I rest my case.”

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