Reuters, Washington :
US President Donald Trump on Thursday scornfully rejected ‘disgusting’ talk among Democrats about launching an impeachment inquiry against him in the aftermath of the Russia probe, saying he did nothing to merit such an outcome.
Talking to reporters on the White House South Lawn ahead of a trip to Colorado, Trump grew animated in reacting to a statement from US Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Wednesday.
Mueller said his report on Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential campaign did not clear Trump of obstruction of justice and indicated it was up to Congress to decide whether he should be impeached.
Mueller’s statement fueled an increase in calls from Democratic lawmakers for impeachment proceedings, and US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, reacting to Mueller’s statement, said “nothing is off the table.”
Asked if he expected to be impeached, Trump said: “I don’t see how … It’s a dirty, filthy, disgusting word … It’s a giant presidential harassment.”
He cited the US Constitution’s language that a president can be charged with “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
“There was no crime. There was no misdemeanor,” he said.
While House Democrats have yet to decide whether to pursue impeachment, they are pressing forward with a number of investigations spinning off from the Russia probe.
The Trump administration is fighting those congressional efforts, including an attempt by the Democratic chairman of the House tax-writing panel to obtain the president’s tax returns.
The top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden, said on Thursday the U.S. Treasury had been “unresponsive” to questions about Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s decision not to comply with the House demand for Trump’s returns, and he threatened to attempt to block any Treasury nominees if the department was not forthcoming.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday scornfully rejected ‘disgusting’ talk among Democrats about launching an impeachment inquiry against him in the aftermath of the Russia probe, saying he did nothing to merit such an outcome.
Talking to reporters on the White House South Lawn ahead of a trip to Colorado, Trump grew animated in reacting to a statement from US Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Wednesday.
Mueller said his report on Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential campaign did not clear Trump of obstruction of justice and indicated it was up to Congress to decide whether he should be impeached.
Mueller’s statement fueled an increase in calls from Democratic lawmakers for impeachment proceedings, and US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, reacting to Mueller’s statement, said “nothing is off the table.”
Asked if he expected to be impeached, Trump said: “I don’t see how … It’s a dirty, filthy, disgusting word … It’s a giant presidential harassment.”
He cited the US Constitution’s language that a president can be charged with “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
“There was no crime. There was no misdemeanor,” he said.
While House Democrats have yet to decide whether to pursue impeachment, they are pressing forward with a number of investigations spinning off from the Russia probe.
The Trump administration is fighting those congressional efforts, including an attempt by the Democratic chairman of the House tax-writing panel to obtain the president’s tax returns.
The top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden, said on Thursday the U.S. Treasury had been “unresponsive” to questions about Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s decision not to comply with the House demand for Trump’s returns, and he threatened to attempt to block any Treasury nominees if the department was not forthcoming.
