Ken Starr on Trump comments about progressive lawmakers
Ken Starr on Trump comments about progressive lawmakers
Some Democrats are trying to make impeachment the first recourse to express disapproval with President Trump, according to Ken Starr.
The Founding Fathers intended impeachment to be an emergency lever or sorts and not something invoked regularly against the chief executive, Starr claimed Tuesday on "The Story."
"When you talk about impeachment, we are in a stage in our history when impeachment is becoming the tool of first resort instead of the tool of last resort," he said.
"That is not what the founding generation wanted."
In the wake of Trump's tweets critical of four freshmen progressive congresswomen, calls for impeachment have again arisen, including from Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, -- who has previously introduced articles of impeachment -- and two of the lawmakers called out by the president: Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.
On that topic, the former independent counsel claimed Trump's comments do not rise to the threshold of an impeachable offense.
"I don't think so," he said, adding he would let others judge whether or not the president's comments were "racist."
"Let's put the impeachment talk aside. We know there's not going to be a majority or much less a supermajority in favor of the impeachment of the president of the United States."
Regarding the House vote earlier Tuesday condemning Trump's comments, Starr claimed it was an appropriate action within Congress' purview.
PELOSI'S REMARKS ON TRUMP'S 'RACIST' COMMENTS RULED OUT OF ORDER AFTER FLOOR FIGHT ERUPTS
"Express your disapprobation or your approval as the case may be," he said.
Earlier Tuesday, veritable mayhem ensued on the House floor prior to the vote itself, with Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., calling for a "point of order" formally objecting to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's remarks about Trump. Several minutes later, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., who was presiding at the time, "abandoned" the chair -- in his words.
While Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., assumed the chair momentarily, Pelosi's deputy in Democratic leadership, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., eventually took the reins.
In the resolution's vote tally, four Republicans -- Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Will Hurd, R-Texas, Fred Upton, R-Mich. and Susan Brooks, R-Ind. -- joined Democrats in supporting Rep. Pelosi's, D-Calif., resolution.
Additionally, Michigan Rep. Justin Amash -- who recently left the Republican Party after himself calling for Trump's impeachment -- also voted yes. The rest of the Republicans voted no.
The unexpected tumult, which briefly resulted in the revocation of Pelosi's speaking privileges on the House floor, left commentators and lawmakers stunned.
Fox News' Gregg Re contributed to this report.
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