Jerry Nadler: Trump ‘Must Not Remain in Power One Moment Longer’
House Judiciary Committee Chairman says president's 'abuse of power' threatens republic
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House Judiciary Committee Chairman and Democratic impeachment "manager" Jerry Nadler has claimed that President Donald Trump's alleged 'abuse of power' threatens the republic.
Nadler began the second day of the Democrats' impeachment trial in the Senate by accusing Trump of "abuse of power, betrayal of the nation, and corruption in elections into a single unforgivable scheme."
"A president who sees no limit on his power manifestly threatens the republic," Nadler said.
The Judiciary Committee Chairman added that Trump's alleged actions meet the Constitutional standard for high crimes and misdemeanors and removal from office.
"It is wrong; it is illegal," Nadler said.
"He must not remain in power one moment longer," Nadler added.
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Nadler then added that the 44 U.S. presidents who preceded Trump "would be shocked to the core."
Trump's abuse "puts President Nixon to shame," Nadler said referring to the 1970s-era president who resigned in disgrace before he could be impeached.
"President Trump has made clear in word and deed that he will persist in such conduct," Nadler said.
"He poses a continuing threat to our nation, to the integrity of our elections, to our democratic order."
Nadler's sentiment was echoed earlier this week by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who stated they needed to remove Trump from office because "he is threatening to cheat in the next election."
Schiff added that urgency is the reason why Democrats did not "force witnesses to testify during the impeachment inquiry through court orders."
"We subpoenaed many of these witnesses, and because of the president’s obstruction, they ignore those lawful subpoenas,” Schiff told ABC News's “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.”
“If you argue that, well, the House needed to go through endless months or even years of litigation before bringing about impeachment, you effectively nullify the impeachment clause.”
The Democrat House would not give us lawyers, or not one witness, but now demand that the Republican Senate produce the witnesses that the House never sought, or even asked for? They had their chance, but pretended to rush. Most unfair & corrupt hearing in Congressional history!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 23, 2020
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Nadler (D-NY) said last year he believed there is a “possibility” that the Senate will vote to remove President Donald Trump from office.
The House Judiciary Committee Chairman was asked:
“Do you see the process as possibly ending in the removal of the president of the United States? Is that a live possibility in your mind?”
“I think it is a possibility," Nadler replied.
"I don’t know how to estimate the possibility, but I would certainly say it’s not a zero possibility. … I think it’s possible, depending on how strong the evidence is, and depending on other political considerations, that maybe the Senate will act to remove the president," Nadler added.
"But I’m not going to give an estimate, and I can’t estimate that, but I will say I don’t think it’s a zero possibility."
Democrats accuse Trump of pressuring Ukraine to investigate presidential candidate Joe Biden, claiming he withheld military aid to Ukraine to leverage a probe.
But according to the official phone call transcript, there was no mention of withholding military aid.
In July, The White House released the transcript of Trump's phone call, which did not show Trump leveraging US aid as part of a quid pro quo - an allegation the Democrats cited when pressing forward with the president's impeachment.
