Flashback: Maxine Waters Called Bill Clinton’s Impeachment a ‘Coup D’état’

House Judiciary Committee member Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Ca., speaks to reporters during a p
AP Photo/ Doug Mills
Hannah Knudsen

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) called the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton a “coup d’état” and accused Republicans of “trying to do with this impeachment what they were unable to do at the ballot box,” a recently resurfaced clip shows.

The California lawmaker, who has been calling for President Trump’s impeachment since the beginning of his presidency, stood beside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and fellow committee chairmen as they announced two articles of impeachment against the president last week. The House Judiciary Committee advanced the articles — accusing the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — on party lines, 23 -17. A full House vote is expected Wednesday.

“Watch what happens in the Senate. You are going to see what happens when your democracy is undermined,” Waters said on MSNBC’s AM Joy on Sunday, accusing Republicans of disregarding the Constitution and undermining the system.

“You are going to see what happens when you have people in power who disregard the Constitution, who don’t care about the democracy, who opens in the door to Putin and Russia,” she added.

However, Waters did not feel the same way two decades ago. A flashback clip resurfaced on social media Monday showing the lawmaker arguing against the impeachment of Clinton, even calling the effort a “coup d’état.”

“They know that these allegations do not meet the test of the Constitution. They know that they’re not impeachable offenses, but they press forward because it is really a coup d’état,” Waters said in remarks made exactly 21 years ago to date, December 16, 1998.

Waters accused Republicans of pursuing impeachment against Clinton to undermine the choice Americans made at the ballot box — an argument made by the majority of Republicans who stand against the Democrats’ partisan impeachment effort now.

“They are trying to do with this impeachment what they were unable to do at the ballot box. The American people should be outraged. The American people should let them know … that we will not stand for it,” she told the crowd:

Waters is hardly the only pro-impeachment Democrat whose past remarks have come back to haunt her.

Around the same time, House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) warned that a partisan impeachment would lead to bitterness and divisiveness and cause Americans to question “the very legitimacy of our political institutions.”

Nadler said at the time:

And we must not do so without an overwhelming consensus of the American people. There must never be a narrowly voted impeachment or an impeachment supported by one of our major political parties and opposed by the other.

“We have no right to overturn the considerate judgment of the American people. Mr. Speaker, the case against the president has not been made,” he added:

Although Waters urged the American people to let Congress know that they “will not stand” for a baseless impeachment over 20 years ago, many are taking the advice.

Freshman Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), who represents a Trump-won district, has faced immense backlash following her decision to back impeachment.

“But in the national security world that I come from, we are trained to make hard calls on things, even if they are unpopular, if we believe the security of the country is at stake,” Slotkin said.

“There are some decisions in life that have to be made based on what you know in your bones is right. And this is one of those times,” she added:

Multiple clips on social media show protesters erupting during her town hall over her support of impeachment:

Slotkin is just one of 31 Democrats representing Trump-won districts who are caught between toeing the party line and satisfying the demands of their constituents, many of whom oppose impeachment.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.