On Sunday’s broadcast of CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) argued President Donald Trump had a “pattern of witness intimidation” when asked about Trump’s tweet about former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch during her public testimony.
Partial transcript as follows:
MARGARET BRENNAN: –and issues that you are handling. The president tweeted over the weekend about three of the diplomats who testified, and he suggested that they should be dismissed. He also tweeted during the hearing about Ambassador Yovanovitch. Do you see this as adding up to witness intimidation?
REP. QUIGLEY: When the hearing began, and Ambassador Yovanovitch began to testify, I thought there’s no way the Republicans will go after this. If anything, they’re going to try to diminish the notion that there was a smear campaign against her. And as she was testifying that she felt threatened by the president’s remarks, which I understand, the president continues the smear campaign. I think when the president says he has a right to pull back ambassadors at any time, they serve at his will–
MARGARET BRENNAN: He does.
REP. QUIGLEY: –that’s absolutely true, but he doesn’t- that can’t be part of a corrupt scheme. And I think that’s what we saw here. The fact is, if the president disagrees with you or you don’t cheer on the president of the United States, he comes after you and the rule of law is left behind.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But not necessarily witness intimidation. You’re not going there, in terms of articles of impeachment.
REP. QUIGLEY: No, it’s absolute- it’s part of a pattern of witness intimidation. What did he say about Mr. Cohen? That he was a rat. He was talking like a- a mobster. What’d he say about Mr. Manafort? That he was a good guy because he wasn’t cooperating. That’s witness intimidation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We now know from another White House official, Tim Morrison, who testified that there was a meeting between former National Security Adviser John Bolton and President Trump, specifically about releasing the aide. Why not wait for John Bolton to testify? The courts can’t get to it till December.
REP. QUIGLEY: I flip it. Why not- why isn’t Mr. Bolton testifying? Why wasn’t he a whistleblower?
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