Beto O'Rourke on impeachment: 'There is enough there to proceed'

Posted on by TheEllenBlog

Texas Rep. Beto O’RourkeBeto O’RourkeBiden will help close out Texas Democrats’ virtual convention: report O’Rourke on Texas reopening: ‘Dangerous, dumb and weak’ Parties gear up for battle over Texas state House MORE (D) said Thursday during a CNN town hall he has not changed his mind about impeaching President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE but said Democrats should wait until the results of Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) MuellerCNN’s Toobin warns McCabe is in ‘perilous condition’ with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill’s 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE’s special counsel investigation are revealed.

Asked by CNN’s Dana Bash whether he had changed his mind about voting for articles of impeachment in the House after initially saying in July that he would do so, O’Rourke said that he had not.

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“I haven’t. Let me put it this way. There may be an open question as to whether the president, then the candidate, sought to collude with the Russian government in 2016,” O’Rourke told the audience, before explaining that Trump’s defense of Russia during a joint press conference with Vladimir Putin earlier this year was “collusion in action.”

“[And when in] broad daylight, on Twitter, he asked his attorney general, Jeff SessionsJefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsMcCabe, Rosenstein spar over Russia probe Rosenstein takes fire from Republicans in heated testimony Rosenstein defends Mueller appointment, role on surveillance warrants MORE, to end the Russia investigation, I would say that’s obstruction in action,” O’Rourke added.

“The best course to get there so that every member has all the facts and that they are compelling enough to do the right thing is to allow the full independence and integrity of the Bob Mueller investigation,” O’Rourke said.

When pressed on why he would vote for impeachment without seeing the investigation’s results, O’Rourke responded that enough public evidence already existed to convince him of Trump’s potential guilt.

“I would liken impeachment to an indictment. There is enough there to proceed with the trial for a full vetting of the facts and to make the best informed decision in the interests of this country and our future,” O’Rourke said.

Dozens of House Democrats signed on to an effort to introduce articles of impeachment against the president earlier this year, but the effort has yet to gain any traction among Democratic leadership.

If Democrats were to pass articles of impeachment upon potentially taking the House in November’s midterm elections, the president would face a trial in the Senate that could lead to removal from office.

O’Rourke is running against incumbent Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump’s public standing sags after Floyd protests GOP senators introduce resolution opposing calls to defund the police MORE (R) for in next month’s midterm. Recent polls show Cruz holding a single-digit lead.