Impeaching President Trump is not a leadership priority for the incoming House majority whip.
“No, it’s not,” Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., told MSNBC Tuesday when asked if it’s important for Democratic leaders to push for Trump’s impeachment. “I have made it very clear throughout the campaign. I’ve made it clear since the election that we ought not get out in front of the Mueller report.”
Clyburn’s comments come as his colleague, Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said Sunday that last week’s court filings indicate Trump may have committed impeachable offenses if he directed Michael Cohen to silence women claiming to have had extramarital affairs with the president years ago. The likely next House Judiciary Committee chairman, who would play an important role in bringing impeachment proceedings against Trump in the next Congress, however, said removing a sitting president was only warranted “in very serious situations.”
Clyburn, the current No. 3 Democrat in the House, said Tuesday his party should instead be helping Mueller conclude his inquiry.
“We ought to be doing everything we possibly can as Democrats to support Mueller, to support the product that he produces or protect the product that he produces, and for us to then make our decisions based upon his findings, and maybe some other court findings that may be taking place,” Clyburn said. “I would not want us to go out in front of those investigations at all. I believe very strongly that we ought to build the record, make our decisions that will be based upon that record, and that way it will be lasting — to get out in front would be a mistake.”
[Read: Michael Cohen cases: Prosecutors want ‘substantial’ prison time, Mueller details Russia contacts]
New York federal prosecutors last week filed a memo outlining how steps Cohen took before the 2016 election to cover up Trump’s alleged affairs were taken “in coordination with and at the direction of individual one.” “Individual one” is widely believed to be Trump, though the president has not been indicted.
Cohen pleaded guilty in August to counts of campaign finance violations, tax fraud, and bank fraud. The charges stemmed from a probe sparked by a referral from Mueller.
