Chuck Todd to Jeff Flake: If Trump’s Abusing His Power Should Congress Look at Impeachment?
CHUCK TODD: All right, let me move to the president this week. And that idea that truth is relative. You had quite the commencement address to Harvard Law School. Let me actually play an excerpt from it and ask you exactly what you're calling for on the other side. Take a listen.
(BEGIN TAPE)
SENATOR JEFF FLAKE: How did we arrive at a moment of such peril - wherein a president of the United States publicly threatens - on Fox & Friends, historians will note -- to interfere in the administration of justice, and seems to think that the office confers on him the ability to decide who and what gets investigated, and who and what does not? Obviously, ordering investigations is not a legitimate use of presidential power.
(END TAPE)
CHUCK TODD: Well, do you believe he's abusing his power? And if you do, when does that, when does that get to the point where you think Congress needs to do something about it, including potentially look at impeachment?
SENATOR JEFF FLAKE: Well, let me just compliment the Congress in the last couple of days. The president had this diversion tactic, obviously, with so-called Spygate. I don't think any of us were referring to it in that way. But the Congress -- Republicans in Congress said no. To have a briefing like the president wanted with just one party was not right. And so, it wasn't just some of the Democrats saying that that was not proper--
CHUCK TODD: Right.
SENATOR JEFF FLAKE: --a lot of Republicans were saying that as well. So, I, I saw the kind of pushback that we need to have. But it needs to happen more often. When the president says things that are just totally wrong, it's responsibility of members of Congress, particularly those in the president's party, to stand up and say, "That is not right. Truth is not relative. And there are no alternative facts here." And, and I, I have seen instances where we haven't done that well. And we've got to do it better.
CHUCK TODD: It seems as it -- you and I have had a lot of discussions in the last year. It seems as if you've gotten more alarmed, while many of your colleagues publicly act less alarmed. And particularly, your colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle. Is that the way it is behind the scenes, too? Or is, or is this just a -- is this public posture also the private posture?
SENATOR JEFF FLAKE: I can tell you behind the scenes, there is a lot of alarm. There is concern that the president is laying the groundwork to move on, on Bob Mueller or, or Rosenstein. And if that were to happen, obviously, that would cause a constitutional crisis. There is concern behind the scenes. I've been concerned that we haven't spoken up loudly enough. And, and told the president, "You simply can't go there." And he's obviously probing the edges as much as he can--
CHUCK TODD: Right.
SENATOR JEFF FLAKE: --to see how far Congress will go. And, and we've got to push back harder than we have.
CHUCK TODD: Why do you think they've been hesitant? Is it frankly your experience, watching you? Watching the Republican--
SENATOR JEFF FLAKE: I'm sure.
CHUCK TODD: --response to you?
SENATOR JEFF FLAKE: Sure. This is the president's party. And if you're running in a primary right now, and you stand up to the president, or stand up in some cases for empirical truth, then you have a -- you have trouble in primaries. And that's no doubt. So, I, I, I do think that, you know, as we get through the primary season--
CHUCK TODD: Yeah.
SENATOR JEFF FLAKE: --perhaps, then many of my colleagues will find a voice. But, but right now, it's difficult, politically.
