Kamla Harris joins Elizabeth Warren in call to impeach Trump
Yesterday in USA Today;In response to:
Kamala Harris joins Elizabeth Warren in advocating for President Trump's impeachment
William Cummings, USA TODAY Published 8:16 a.m. ET April 23, 2019 | Updated 11:58 a.m. ET April 23, 2019
California Sen. Kamala Harris joined the call for President Donald Trump's impeachment on Monday in a prime-time town hall meeting.
WASHINGTON – Sen. Kamala Harris joined the ranks of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates advocating for the impeachment of President Donald Trump before they get the chance to unseat him at the ballot box.
The California Democrat said she supports impeachment proceedings during a CNN town hall event on Monday.
"I believe that we need to get rid of this president. That's why I'm running to become president of the United States," Harris said in response to an audience member who asked if she thought special counsel Robert Mueller's report was damning enough to warrant Trump's impeachment.
But while she would be happy to defeat him at the ballot box, Harris said the evidence from the report "tells us that this president and his administration engaged in obstruction of justice."
"I believe Congress should take the steps towards impeachment."
Harris cautioned that the process "doesn't end there," however. She said the Democratic majority in the House would likely be able to impeach Trump, but she did not think that enough Republicans would join Democrats to secure the two-thirds majority needed in the Senate that would remove Trump from office.
"I've not seen any evidence to suggest that they will weigh on the facts instead of on partisan adherence to being protective of this president," Harris said. "So we have to be realistic about what might be the end result, but that doesn't mean the process should not take hold."
Other 2020 Democrats who have called for impeachment proceedings against Trump include Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Miramar, Florida, Mayor Wayne Messam.
Warren called for impeachment in a tweet last week after the release of the redacted Mueller report.
"The severity of this misconduct demands that elected officials in both parties set aside political considerations and do their constitutional duty. That means the House should initiate impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States," she said.
Warren repeated that call Monday during a CNN town hall.
"If any other human being in this country had done what's documented in the Mueller report, they would be arrested and put in jail," she said.
During his own CNN town hall on Monday. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders called for Congress to "do a hard investigation" to "get to the truth" and determine whether or not Trump obstructed justice.
But Sanders cautioned that if Congress focused on impeachment and not about "issues that concern ordinary Americans" then he fears "that works to Trump's advantage."
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar also called for further hearings on Mueller's findings in the House and Senate during a town hall on Monday. She said Mueller's report included "very disturbing things that would lead you to believe there's obstruction of justice" but "impeachment proceedings are up to the House."
She said that if the House votes to impeach Trump, as a member of the Senate she would become a juror, "so I am not going to predispose things."
During his CNN town hall, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg said it is "pretty clear that he deserves impeachment," when asked if would support moving forward with proceedings against Trump. But he said he is "going to leave it to the House and Senate to figure that out."
Kamala Harris joins Elizabeth Warren in advocating for President Trump's impeachment
William Cummings, USA TODAY Published 8:16 a.m. ET April 23, 2019 | Updated 11:58 a.m. ET April 23, 2019
California Sen. Kamala Harris joined the call for President Donald Trump's impeachment on Monday in a prime-time town hall meeting.
WASHINGTON – Sen. Kamala Harris joined the ranks of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates advocating for the impeachment of President Donald Trump before they get the chance to unseat him at the ballot box.
The California Democrat said she supports impeachment proceedings during a CNN town hall event on Monday.
"I believe that we need to get rid of this president. That's why I'm running to become president of the United States," Harris said in response to an audience member who asked if she thought special counsel Robert Mueller's report was damning enough to warrant Trump's impeachment.
But while she would be happy to defeat him at the ballot box, Harris said the evidence from the report "tells us that this president and his administration engaged in obstruction of justice."
"I believe Congress should take the steps towards impeachment."
Harris cautioned that the process "doesn't end there," however. She said the Democratic majority in the House would likely be able to impeach Trump, but she did not think that enough Republicans would join Democrats to secure the two-thirds majority needed in the Senate that would remove Trump from office.
"I've not seen any evidence to suggest that they will weigh on the facts instead of on partisan adherence to being protective of this president," Harris said. "So we have to be realistic about what might be the end result, but that doesn't mean the process should not take hold."
Other 2020 Democrats who have called for impeachment proceedings against Trump include Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Miramar, Florida, Mayor Wayne Messam.
Warren called for impeachment in a tweet last week after the release of the redacted Mueller report.
"The severity of this misconduct demands that elected officials in both parties set aside political considerations and do their constitutional duty. That means the House should initiate impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States," she said.
Warren repeated that call Monday during a CNN town hall.
"If any other human being in this country had done what's documented in the Mueller report, they would be arrested and put in jail," she said.
During his own CNN town hall on Monday. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders called for Congress to "do a hard investigation" to "get to the truth" and determine whether or not Trump obstructed justice.
But Sanders cautioned that if Congress focused on impeachment and not about "issues that concern ordinary Americans" then he fears "that works to Trump's advantage."
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar also called for further hearings on Mueller's findings in the House and Senate during a town hall on Monday. She said Mueller's report included "very disturbing things that would lead you to believe there's obstruction of justice" but "impeachment proceedings are up to the House."
She said that if the House votes to impeach Trump, as a member of the Senate she would become a juror, "so I am not going to predispose things."
During his CNN town hall, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg said it is "pretty clear that he deserves impeachment," when asked if would support moving forward with proceedings against Trump. But he said he is "going to leave it to the House and Senate to figure that out."
(Continued in my first comment below)
Comments (17)
"My role in the process is trying to relegate Trumpism to the dust bin of history" via the ballot box, Buttigieg said.
On Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., left the door open to impeachment saying, "if that’s the place the facts take us, that’s the place we have to go."
bigjb62•2 hrs ago•Society Hill, South Carolina USA
A few are saying a Sanders/Gabbard independent 3rd party run might(!) prove unstoppable...
Voters may go for it out of dissatisfaction with the major partys' offerings.
Could be, I suppose
Of course. And then the conviction process would extend further. The membership of Congress in 2021 would probably not be the same as right now. The only possible "news" during this session would be a radical change in the Senate's opinion of T-Rump Wrecks. Otherwise, there is nothing to say. As one correspondent did say, "Z-z-z-z."
HERE'S ANOTHER ONE....
The Murkun electorate could re-elect The Don, vote overwhelmingly for 'Publican Senators who'd THEN realize The Don had been a huge mistake - TWICE!
They switch parties & throw The Don out!
Yeah. That'd Work
I suspect that's quietly going on now - behind the scenes.
But at this point in an election cycle they can't just come out & say, 'We're F'd'.
Even some Libs (NOT Leftists
But, in addition there are many other investigations which will likely reveal additional crimes.
These investigations should be followed up and together the evidence should be presented
in an impeachment hearing. The American people should not be subjected to someone
who continually lies, misleads and commits crimes. He is a horrible imitation of a leader
who is a danger to the country.