Sep 25, 2019 - Politics & Policy
Schiff: Trump's public statements are "damning enough" for impeachment
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told "CBS This Morning" Wednesday that President Trump's public statements about his interactions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are "damning enough" for an impeachment inquiry.
Why it matters: The comments from Schiff, who had been relatively cautious about impeaching the president prior to this weekend, illustrate that Democrats are more than prepared to move forward with the impeachment inquiry regardless of what the transcript of Trump's call with Zelensky says.
What Schiff said:
"What the president has said publicly is damning enough. Let's look at what he's said. Let's look at what [Rudy Giuliani] has said.
They both admitted to pressuring Ukraine to manufacture dirt on their opponent Joe Biden. There’s no rationalizing that. No justifying that. That is a horrible abuse of the oath of office. ...
The president’s acknowledgment of withholding Ukraine aid, the fact that he would not even share with leaders of his own party, like Mitch McConnell, the justification. The fact that when this came to light, he is now giving shifting explanations for why he withheld the aid.
I think all of those facts, which are uncontested at this point, compel us to move down the path of a formal impeachment inquiry."
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