Rep. Maxine Waters Friday flatly rejected working in any way with President Donald Trump, saying that she does not know how to find "common ground with someone you absolutely do not trust."
"I don't honor him," the outspoken California Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program."I don't respect this president. I don't think that he deserves to be president of this great country. I am very concerned about him and I really think he's dangerous."
Millennials opposing Trump have rallied behind Waters, and she said that's because she continues to speak out about "his ties to Russia and what I think all of that means, and, as you know I've continued to talk about. I believe if we have the incredible investigations it will lead to his impeachment."
Other Democratic lawmakers, such as Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, have said that there could be some initiatives — such as fighting for lower prescription drug prices — that they'll consider cooperating with Trump over.
But Waters said she can't see that happening for her. She also objected to Trump's changing stances on issues such as China, who he first accused of manipulating currency and then said he does not believe that.
And if congressional investigations show there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, then "he deserves to be impeached," Waters said.
"I think a lot of people standing with him will have to move away from him."
Earlier this week, Waters told MSNBC that she has not called for impeachment, but instead has said that "we need the information, we need to connect the dots, we need the facts in order to do the impeachment. And I'm going to work every day to try and help get those facts and to reveal them . . . to our public until, of course, impeachment has taken place."
Waters said many other Democrats aren't taking a hard line like her because they are not involved in investigations the way she is. She also does not have faith in the House Intelligence Committee's probe, but she does with the Senate committee.
The government must function, she conceded, but she said her support of that happening does not hinge on working with Trump.
On the show, Waters also denied a contention by guest Donny Deutsch that her stance means she can't act in the best interest of Democrats and her constituents.
"I think he's dangerous," she said of Trump. "I think he's not a credible leader of this country. I think he's treated our allies badly. I think others from across the sea, across the waters, are looking at us and saying, what's wrong with us . . . even though you may think it's not in the best interest of my constituents, I think it's in the best interest of my constituents to get rid of him."
Waters also rejected a comparison between her stance and that take by Republicans against former President Barack Obama.
"I do not know what the president means when he talks to any of these issues, alludes to wanting to repair the infrastructure, there is no program to do that," Waters said. "I don't know what he's talking about. When he talks about tax reform, he's not credible. He's not shown his own tax returns. How can he be the leader talking about tax reform and trying to make Americans believe that somehow that he is going to do the right thing by the average citizen?"
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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