BREAK DOWN THE NEXT STEPS IN THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS AND WHAT WE
CAN EXPECT.
CAN EXPECT. >> THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE HAS WRAPPED UP THEIR
PUBLIC HEARINGS.
PUBLIC HEARINGS. THERE’S STILL THE THEORETICAL
POSSIBILITY THEY WILL CALL MORE
WITNESSES.
WITNESSES. THAT DOESN’T SEEM LIKELY.
ASSUMING THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN,
WHAT HAPPENS NOW WITH
IMPEACHMENT?
IMPEACHMENT? THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE WOULD
THEN KICK THIS OVER TO THE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. THEY WOULD DECIDE IF THEY WANT
TO PUT ACTUAL ARTICLES OF
IMPEACHMENT TOGETHER, THINGS
THEY WOULD WANT TO CHARGE THE
PRESIDENT WITH.
PRESIDENT WITH. HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
THEY WOULD WANT TO CHARGE THE
PRESIDENT WITH.
PRESIDENT WITH. THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE WOULD
DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT.
THEY WOULD PUT THE ARTICLES
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. THEY WOULD THEN VOTE THE
ARTICLES OUT OF THE COMMITTEE.
THEY WOULD TAKE VOTES ON EACH
INDIVIDUAL ARTICLE THEY CAME UP
WITH, THE FULL HOUSE WOULD THEN
HAVE FLOOR DEBATE AND THEN THE
FULL HOUSE WOULD VOTE ON WHETHER
TO ADOPT THE ARTICLES OF
IMPEACHMENT.
IMPEACHMENT. IF EVEN ONE IS ADOPTED, THEN THE
PRESIDENT IS IMPEACHED.
IT WOULD GO TO THE U.S. SENATE,
A GROUP OF HOUSE MEMBERS WOULD
BE DESIGNATED AS MANAGERS.
THEY WOULD SERVE AS PROSECUTORS
AND THEY WOULD GO OVER TO THE
U.S. SENATE.
U.S. SENATE. THE SENATE WOULD HOLD A TRIAL.
THE SENATORS WOULD ACT AS JURY
MEMBERS, WITNESSES WOULD BE
CALLED, EVIDENCE WOULD BE
PRESENTED.
PRESENTED. THE SENATE WOULD DELIBERATE.
THEY MIGHT DELIBERATE BEHIND
CLOSED DOORS WITH NO CAMERAS ON.
THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS IN THE
CLINTON IMPEACHMENT IN 1999.
THEN FINALLY A VOTE.
TWO-THIRDS SUPER MAJORITY TO
CONVICT TRUMP AND REMOVE HIM
FROM OFFICE.
FROM OFFICE. THE QUESTION FROM THESE
HEARINGS, OF COURSE, IS DID THE
POLITICS CHANGE AT ALL?
DEMOCRATS HELD THESE HEARINGS,
IN PART, BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT
HAVING THESE WITNESSES TESTIFY
IN FRONT OF ALL THE WITNESSES
WITH THE COUNTRY WATCHING, WOULD
IT CHANGE PUBLIC OPINION?
WE’LL WAIT TO SEE POLLING COME
OUT IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING THE
HEARING.
HEARING. SO FAR THERE’S BEEN NO
INDICATION THAT A MAJOR DECISIVE
MOVE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ON
THIS AND REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS ARE WELL AWARE THAT FOR
DONALD TRUMP, THE STORY OF HIS
ENTIRE PRESIDENCY HAS BEEN, HE
HAS HAD VERY HIGH SUPPORT FROM
REPUBLICAN VOTERS, FROM THEIR
OWN PARTY’S VOTERS.
THERE’S BEEN A GREAT FEAR OF
REPUBLICAN CONGRESS MEMBERS OF
BEING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THAT
OPINION IN THEIR OWN PARTY.
WE HAVE SEEN REPUBLICANS IN THE
TRUMP ERA WHO HAVE GOTTEN INTO
TRUMP CROSS-HAIRS WHO HAVE
GOTTEN INTO TROUBLE IN THE
PRIMARIES.
PRIMARIES. NAETS A POWERFUL, MOTIVATING
FORCE ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE.
IF YOU LOOK AT POLLS RIGHT NOW
ON REPUBLICAN IMPEACHMENT, 7%
REPUBLICAN SUPPORT IMPEACHMENT.
8%, 6%.
8%, 6%. THE VAST MAJORITY OF
REPUBLICANS, 90% PLUS GENERALLY
ARE OPPOSED TO IMPEACHMENT.
STILL SUPPORT PRESIDENT TRUMP.
AS LONG AS YOU SEE NUMBERS LIKE
THAT, IT IS HARD TO SEE
REPUBLICANS IN MEASURABLE
NUMBERS BREAKING WITH HIM.
IT’S IN HUGE CONTRAST -- YOU
THINK OF A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT,
A COUPLE DECADES AGO, RICHARD
NIXON WAS FACING IMPEACHMENT,
CHOSE TO RESIGN IN THE FACE OF
THAT.
THAT. WHEN NIXON RESIGNED IN AUGUST
1974, HE TOOK A POLL OF
REPUBLICANS.
REPUBLICANS. IT WAS SPLIT RIGHT DOWN THE
MIDDLE.
MIDDLE. 45% ARE REPUBLICAN AT THAT POINT
SAID THEY WANTED NIXON
IMPEACHED.
IMPEACHED. 44% SAID THEY WERE AGAINST IT.
WITH NUMBERS LIKE THAT, WITH
THAT KIND OF SPLIT OPINION IN
HIS OWN PARTY, THERE WAS PLENTY
OF ROOM FOR REPUBLICANS TO BREAK
WITH NIXON TO ALSO CALL FOR HIS
IMPEACHMENT.
IMPEACHMENT. BUT WITH TRUMP IT’S LIKE 90-6.
THERE WAS ONE REPUBLICAN MEMBER
FOLKS WERE WATCHING CLOSELY.
HIS NAME IS WILL HURD,
REPUBLICAN FROM TEXAS.
HE’S A A DISTRICT -- A HILLARY
CLINTON DISTRICT IN 2016.
HE’S BEEN VERY CRITICAL OF
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. HE’S NOT RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION
IN 2020.
IN 2020. SO, THE GENERAL SENSE IS THAT
WILL HURD WAS A BAROMETER.
LOOKING AT REPUBLICANS ON PAPER
WHO WOULD BE LIKELY TO BREAK
WITH TRUMP.
WITH TRUMP. WILL HURD WOULD BE ATOP THAT
LIST OR NEAR THE TOP OF THAT
LIST.
LIST. >> AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE SHOULD
BE COMPELLING, OVERWHELMINGLY
CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS.
AND IT’S NOT SOMETHING TO BE
RUSHED OR TAKEN LIGHTLY.
I’VE NOT HEARD EVIDENCE PROVING
THE PRESIDENT COMMITTED BRIBERY
OR EXTORTION.
OR EXTORTION. >> IF WILL HURD ENDS THESE
HEARINGS AFTER LISTENING TO ALL
THOSE WITNESSES IN THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE AND LANDS
AT NOT ITCHMPEACHABLE, IT SEEMS
LIKELY SUPPORT FOR THE PRESIDENT
COMING OUT OF THE INTELLIGENCE
HEARINGS, IT REMAINS STRONG