Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested Democrats, who take power in the House next month, should not wait to begin impeachment proceedings against President Trump because “we have far surpassed” the “standard” that the Republican Party used to impeach former President Bill Clinton.
Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., during comments to reporters Friday on Capitol Hill, was asked if seeking impeachment is premature. “Not to me,” she replied. Democratic leaders during the 2018 campaign sought to play down the prospect that they would try to remove the president from office.
Ocasio-Cortez also said a plea deal reached by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and special counsel Robert Mueller buttresses the case the Trump should be impeached. Cohen admitted to making false statements about the timing of discussions surrounding the “Moscow Project,” an effort by Trump to construct a tower in Russia’s capital.
“I’ve been supportive of impeachment for some time now so I think it just adds to the case,” she said. “I mean, it’s just, this is ridiculous. This is outrageous. In 1998, the entire Republican Party decides to impeach Bill Clinton over what standard? And the fact that they have to raise that standard to go above and beyond.”
Ocasio-Cortez added that at this point “we have far surpassed” the standard that the GOP set when they impeached Clinton in 1998. “They’re the ones that established that standard for impeachment so we are just really meeting the Republican standard,” she said.
When asked to clarify what standard from the Clinton impeachment she thinks has been exceeded today, Ocasio-Cortez responded, “Well, I just think, overall, when you look at the broad stroke they took, how far they would take it, and how granularly they would dig into that process.”
As for why the Democrats should move in the direction of impeachment, Ocasio-Cortez said, “I would be supportive and what we’re seeing here is really serious questions with respect to the emoluments clause.”
The state attorneys general for Maryland and the District of Columbia are suing Trump, saying he is violating the Constitution by profiting from his office via his hotel in Washington.
