Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., pushed back at comparisons between the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, and the process underway against President Donald Trump.
In an interview aired Sunday on ABC News’ “This Week,” Engel was reminded that in 1998, he questioned “what good" an impeachment of Clinton would do since “no one” believed he’d be removed.
“We’re not” facing the same situation with Trump, he insisted.
“We have a constitutional responsibility,” he said, adding, “Congress is there to prevent the president from doing things that are illegal… the president thinks he can rule by fiat.”
“The question you have to ask is did the president sell out his country with a bribe to a foreign power to get involved in then president’s personal political election,” Engel said. “It’s never been done by any president in the history of this country.”
Engel said he believes that action was “illegal.”
“Congress appropriated foreign aid for Ukraine and the president illegally withheld that money,” Engel declared.
When host George Stephanopoulos, interrupted and asked, “Illegal?” Engel replied: “Well I think it’s illegal because why would you be allowed to take that money and play with it as you pleased?”
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