Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) is raising questions after former special counsel Robert Mueller's testimony this week about his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Lieu says Mueller appeared to give conflicting answers Wednesday about the ability to indict a sitting president, indicating in the first hearing that it could not be done, then rolling that back in the second hearing of the day.
"I found that very odd," Lieu told Cheddar on Friday. "He understood that what he said to me — that he refused to backtrack to the Republican member who followed me — was that Donald Trump committed the crime of obstruction of justice."
Lieu says he thinks Mueller walked back his comments because he didn't want to appear to say he believed the president was guilty of a crime.
Lieu's comments come amid growing pressure from some Democrats to begin an impeachment inquiry, a move that Speaker Nancy Pelosi still says is premature. But Lieu said that support is growing, pointing to five more members of his party who have come to support impeachment proceedings since Mueller's testimony.
"You can't watch these hearings and not conclude three things: that the Russians systematically attacked us in 2016 in our elections in a sweeping manner. Second, that the Trump campaign embraced this attack, used information from it, gave Russians internal polling, and knew it was going to help Donald Trump. And then third, the president committed multiple acts of obstruction of justice, which are felonies, to try to stop the investigation into the Russians."
But other representatives have said the only way Democrats will remove Trump is at the ballot box.
"We do need to be realistic, and that is, the only way he's leaving office, at least at this point, is by being voted out," said Rep. Adam Schiff on Thursday.
Lieu isn't deterred. "When the Nixon impeachment process started, 19 percent of the American people supported it. After a few months of hearings the American people decided Nixon was a crook, and then he eventually resigned," said the representative.
He also called Attorney General William Barr's announcement that he will revitalize federal capital punishment an effort by the Trump administration to "distract" from a bad week for the president.
Officials from Ukraine and Russia have begun meeting along the Belarus border to discuss a potential end to the ongoing invasion, even as the fighting continues to drag on. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas 9th District) joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, what to expect from President Joe Biden's State of The Union Address, and the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court. "I'm still hopeful, and I hope that Mr. Putin will understand that he has united the world against him," Green said of the new round of peace talks.
Within hours of Russia's first attack on Ukraine, President Joe Biden addressed the nation by stating that the White House will impose wider sanctions on Russian banks. These sanctions could result in damage to the Russian economy. Host of "Oh My World" on Youtube and Former Spokesperson for the U. S. Mission to the U. N. Hagar Chemali, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
As we celebrate Black History Month, Cheddar is highlighting prominent Black Americans who are carving their own historic paths and trailblazing in their fields. Today we feature Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman SCOTUS nominee.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine went hand in hand with cyberattacks against Ukrainian government websites and financial institutions. Cheddar News speaks with cybersecurity expert Karim Hijazi, CEO of Prevaillon, on why the Russian cyberwarfare is concerning to other nations.
Florida legislation being called the 'Don't Say Gay' bill would restrict some discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms with young students. Jon Harris Maurer, public policy director at Equality Florida, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
President Joe Biden promised during his campaign to focus on stable and ally-focused foreign policy, and the Russia-Ukraine crisis seems like an opportunity for him to focus on that tactic after last year's chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal. So far, Biden and western allies have banned together to sanction Russian banks, billionaires, and even President Vladimir Putin himself. Meanwhile, Biden has not deployed U.S. troops to intervene directly in Ukraine. Jack Detsch, national security reporter at Foreign Policy, joins Closing Bell to discuss why Biden is focusing on a sanctions-based, ally-focused strategy, what impact sanctions could have on Russia's economy, and more.
As Russia continues its attack on Ukraine, protests are popping up in major cities across the U.S., including across the street from the United Nations in New York City.. Chloe Aiello reports.
