Dem Rep. Jeffries: We Must Be Careful on Impeachment Talk

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, said while some in his party are wanting to revisit launching impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, he believes lawmakers should proceed carefully.

"The founding fathers made clear that impeachment should be a question of last resort, not a question of first resort," Rep. Jeffries told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "My view remains the same, consistent with the standard that our Speaker Nancy Pelosi has articulated, which is that the case must be compelling, the evidence should be overwhelming, and sentiment around impeachment should be bipartisan in nature."

However, he added, nobody is above the law, "not even the president of the United States and the so-called attorney general. We are going to take that constitutional responsibility we have as a separate and coequal branch of government seriously."

Even without impeachment proceedings, there will still be hearings through on obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and the "culture of corruption that exists," Jeffries said. That means that lawmakers are able to see the unredacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report, as Attorney General William Barr's redactions can't be trusted.

"He's a fixer for the president, not the people, and we need to hear from Bob Mueller himself," Jeffries said. "We are working to make that happen."

Democrats are also concentrating on promises that were made to Americans, including on healthcare, Jeffries said.

"I was home last week and I had a congressman on the corner event," Jeffries said. "I was on the street corner three hours in New York and not a single person brought up a question of tactics and strategies related to impeaching Donald Trump or holding him accountable."  

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