Cicilline: Trump ‘Shouldn’t Benefit by Continuing to Commit Impeachable Offenses and Preventing Us from Ever Taking Action’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT The number ░░░░░░░░ House Democrats in favor ░░░░░░░░ rising It s 134 ░░░░░░░░ well over half of ░░░░░░░░ democratic caucus Consider this ░░░░░░░░ headline Let s compare ░░░░░░░░ Trump s week to ░░░░░░░░ impeachment articles brought against ░░░░░░░░ Nixon Clinton and Johnson ░░░░░░░░ one were to consider ░░░░░░░░ articles of impeachment against ░░░░░░░░ three sitting presidents who ░░░░░░░░ faced impeachment proceedings not ░░░░░░░░ has Trump achieved all ░░░░░░░░ them he achieved most ░░░░░░░░ them in under a ░░░░░░░░ Here is the question ░░░░░░░░ the house Judiciary Committee ░░░░░░░░ to investigate all of ░░░░░░░░ president s potentially impeachment ░░░░░░░░ before it can recommend ░░░░░░░░ and the president keeps ░░░░░░░░ new potentially impeachable offenses ░░░░░░░░ week how does this ░░░░░░░░ Joining us is a ░░░░░░░░ of the house Judiciary ░░░░░░░░ Great to have you ░░░░░░░░ us tonight Thanks for ░░░░░░░░ me We re at ░░░░░░░░ House Democrats now favoring ░░░░░░░░ That s over half ░░░░░░░░ the caucus Does that ░░░░░░░░ reach the threshold where ░░░░░░░░ agrees with those of ░░░░░░░░ who want to proceed ░░░░░░░░ an impeachment a formal ░░░░░░░░ Does that mean house ░░░░░░░░ is now on board ░░░░░░░░ obviously an increasing number ░░░░░░░░ the members of the ░░░░░░░░ caucus have come out ░░░░░░░░ support of the Judiciary ░░░░░░░░ proceedings I think the ░░░░░░░░ has made it very ░░░░░░░░ in the last pleading ░░░░░░░░ was filed in court ░░░░░░░░ we are in the ░░░░░░░░ of a proceeding as ░░░░░░░░ whether or not we ░░░░░░░░ recommend to the full ░░░░░░░░ articles of impeachment against ░░░░░░░░ President So we re ░░░░░░░░ the midst of this ░░░░░░░░ will require us to ░░░░░░░░ to bring witnesses before ░░░░░░░░ committee to seek the ░░░░░░░░ of documents so that ░░░░░░░░ will be able to ░░░░░░░░ a recommendation to the ░░░░░░░░ House the Chairman said ░░░░░░░░ the end of this ░░░░░░░░ As you point out ░░░░░░░░ week or every day ░░░░░░░░ feels as if there ░░░░░░░░ additional things that require ░░░░░░░░ Those will be added ░░░░░░░░ the judiciary agenda We ░░░░░░░░ look at those things ░░░░░░░░ there will come a ░░░░░░░░ I presume that we ░░░░░░░░ have enough to make ░░░░░░░░ determination as to whether ░░░░░░░░ not articles of impeachment ░░░░░░░░ be filed Certainly the ░░░░░░░░ shouldn t benefit by ░░░░░░░░ to commit impeachable offenses ░░░░░░░░ preventing us from ever ░░░░░░░░ action So I think ░░░░░░░░ will come a point ░░░░░░░░ the Judiciary Committee will ░░░░░░░░ a judgment based on ░░░░░░░░ evidence presented to the ░░░░░░░░ and the witnesses we ░░░░░░░░ from and the documents ░░░░░░░░ reviewed as to whether ░░░░░░░░ not we recommend to ░░░░░░░░ full House articles of ░░░░░░░░ against the President Do ░░░░░░░░ who now support proceeding ░░░░░░░░ impeachment include the speaker ░░░░░░░░ would never presume to ░░░░░░░░ for the speaker I ░░░░░░░░ she s made it ░░░░░░░░ that she believes the ░░░░░░░░ must be held accountable ░░░░░░░░ one is above the ░░░░░░░░ We should continue the ░░░░░░░░ oversight of the committee ░░░░░░░░ s what the Judiciary ░░░░░░░░ is going Obviously the ░░░░░░░░ will weigh in whether ░░░░░░░░ not we take up ░░░░░░░░ oimpeachment Our work remains ░░░░░░░░ president has directed witnesses ░░░░░░░░ to come to not ░░░░░░░░ documents We are litigating ░░░░░░░░ things to be sure ░░░░░░░░ get the evidence we ░░░░░░░░ to make informed judgment ░░░░░░░░ s talk about some ░░░░░░░░ the potential articles or ░░░░░░░░ things you will investigate ░░░░░░░░ have Donald Trump pushing ░░░░░░░░ use his private club ░░░░░░░░ a hosting site for ░░░░░░░░ g 7 which would ░░░░░░░░ global leaders in Florida ░░░░░░░░ the height of hurricane ░░░░░░░░ which doesn t sound ░░░░░░░░ safe or wise Is ░░░░░░░░ one of the things ░░░░░░░░ you believe should be ░░░░░░░░ as a potential article ░░░░░░░░ imimpeachment Yeah This is ░░░░░░░░ more way that this ░░░░░░░░ is attempting to enrich ░░░░░░░░ his family and his ░░░░░░░░ estate empire by using ░░░░░░░░ office of the presidency ░░░░░░░░ is a terrible abuse ░░░░░░░░ power It s an ░░░░░░░░ of his office Seeking ░░░░░░░░ from being president of ░░░░░░░░ United States which we ░░░░░░░░ never seen this before ░░░░░░░░ is a president who ░░░░░░░░ enterprise That s not ░░░░░░░░ the presidency is for ░░░░░░░░ require foreign leaders to ░░░░░░░░ in this only by ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump and his ░░░░░░░░ would be completely inappropriate ░░░░░░░░ illegal C that will ░░░░░░░░ added to the list ░░░░░░░░ the ways that this ░░░░░░░░ and this president has ░░░░░░░░ himself that the committee ░░░░░░░░ review We want to ░░░░░░░░ sure that when the ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ any elected official is ░░░░░░░░ they are acting in ░░░░░░░░ best interest of the ░░░░░░░░ people not because there ░░░░░░░░ some financial game that ░░░░░░░░ are getting or their ░░░░░░░░ or family is getting ░░░░░░░░ violates a number of ░░░░░░░░ of interest prohibitions This ░░░░░░░░ one more example of ░░░░░░░░ president who is using ░░░░░░░░ office as a money ░░░░░░░░ enterprise We didn t ░░░░░░░░ to the attorney general ░░░░░░░░ him to throw his ░░░░░░░░ party there We can ░░░░░░░░ that another time Thank ░░░░░░░░ so much for your ░░░░░░░░ Appreciate it.