WATCH: Adam Schiff Slams McCarthy for Sham Biden Impeachment Inquiry on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer
Washington, DC — Today, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), joined CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer to discuss House Republicans’ effort to launch a sham impeachment inquiry into President Biden, and how House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is desperately bowing to extreme elements in his party to keep the Speaker’s gavel in his power.
Watch the full interview here.
Key Excerpts:
On why Kevin McCarthy is launching this impeachment inquiry:
[...] It's based on the weakness of Kevin McCarthy's speakership. The fact that he doesn't have the moral authority with his members, doesn't have control over his conference, and is beholden to the most extreme elements who want an impeachment of Joe Biden – an impeachment without evidence. And second, this is again, Kevin McCarthy doing the bidding of Donald Trump. Donald Trump wants to somehow dilute the stain of his impeachments. He wants to try to weaken Joe Biden going into the presidential election. So, this is Kevin McCarthy doing what Donald Trump says, once again.
On Donald Trump’s role in this impeachment inquiry:
[...] This is Donald Trump exerting his will over Kevin McCarthy. Kevin McCarthy, beholden to his MAGA elements in the conference, trying to cling on to the speakership for one more day, one more week, maybe one more month.
Full Transcript:
Blitzer: We're following new developments up on Capitol Hill right now — the House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's announcement today directing congressional committees to formally launch an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. Let's discuss this and more with Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California. He is a key member of the Judiciary Committee. He is also a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us. As all of our viewers will remember, you led the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump back in 2019, which was also started without a full House vote. What do you make of Speaker McCarthy's move today to launch a new inquiry into President Biden without a full House vote?
Schiff: Well, this is really based on two things. It's based on the weakness of Kevin McCarthy's speakership. The fact that he doesn't have the moral authority with his members, doesn't have control over his conference, and is beholden to the most extreme elements who want an impeachment of Joe Biden – an impeachment without evidence. And second, this is again, Kevin McCarthy doing the bidding of Donald Trump. Donald Trump wants to somehow dilute the stain of his impeachments. He wants to try to weaken Joe Biden going into the presidential election. So, this is Kevin McCarthy doing what Donald Trump says, once again. And I'll tell you what it's not. It's not impeachment based on high crimes or misdemeanors, or any evidence of such things. This is essentially evidence-free impeachment. And it is purely politically motivated by McCarthy and Donald Trump.
Blitzer: But do you not have any concerns about the questionable business dealings of Hunter Biden and possible ties to the president when he was vice president?
Schiff: Well, there's been no evidence of ties to the president or any evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Joe Biden. Look, I don't think any presidential family members should traffic on the family name. I didn't think so of the Trump kids. And I don't think Hunter Biden should have either. But that's a long cry from saying that the President has engaged in any wrongdoing. He hasn't. This is, of course, nothing to do with evidence. Again, this is Donald Trump exerting his will over Kevin McCarthy. Kevin McCarthy, beholden to his MAGA elements in the conference, trying to cling on to the speakership for one more day, one more week, maybe one more month.
Blitzer: In our recent CNN poll, and I suspect you probably saw it, 42% of voters say they do believe President Biden acted illegally when it comes to Hunter Biden's business dealings. How do you respond to that?
Schiff: Look, there are huge media enterprises like Fox, Newsmax, OAN, that continue to trumpet falsehoods. It's why Fox was forced to pay three quarters of a billion dollars for deliberately pushing out lies about the last election. So yes, their viewers are going to believe the worst, because that's what they're going to hear from these propaganda outfits. But nevertheless, in terms of evidence, in terms of what the founders had in mind, evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors, it is completely lacking. And once again, we see, I think, a degradation of the House of Representatives under Kevin McCarthy brought yet one step lower again. There were the bogus censures, like I had to go through. Now they've prepared, they appear ready for a bogus impeachment. And this is unfortunately what we can expect from a Speaker who has essentially no ideology, no agenda, except self-preservation in that office.
Blitzer: Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz is threatening to introduce a motion to remove Speaker McCarthy. Would you, Congressman, would you support that?
Schiff: It's going to be up to the Republicans to decide who they want to govern their conference. But I do think all these issues are interwoven because it is that fragility, that weakness in the debate over the budget. McCarthy has reneged on the deal he struck with Joe Biden, the conservatives want him to renege even further, and as a sop to those extreme elements of his conference, this appears to be the bargain. "I will give you impeachment." Now, an impeachment is a serious thing. It's not something that should be a bargaining chip for Kevin McCarthy to give the Matt Gaetzes of the world to try to buy them off for another week. And it will just bring down this institution even further if this is the road they go down.
Blitzer: Congressman Adam Schiff as usual, thanks so much for joining us.
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