Blunt: I Would Not Support Impeaching Obama Had He Done What Trump Is Accused of Doing

On Sunday’s broadcast of CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) said he would not have support impeaching former President Barack Obama had he done what President Donald Trump has been accused of doing.

Partial transcript as follows:

BRENNAN: Your former Republican colleague Jeff Flake put out an op-ed where he wrote this is an open letter to senators like yourself, saying essentially the entire body is on trial, not just the president. And you said, don’t be complicit. Quote, “You might also determine that the president’s actions do not rise to the Constitutional standard required for removal. But what is indefensible is echoing House Republicans who say the president has not done anything wrong. He has.” Does Roy Blunt, potential juror, believe that the president’s phone call was perfect?

BLUNT: Well, I think the people that listened to it that should know and hear a lot of these calls have generally said there was nothing wrong with the call.

BRENNAN: But what do you believe?

BLUNT: But I think that’s not- here- here’s what I believe from Jeff Flake’s letter, or Jeff Flake’s editorial. He also said, “would you reach the same conclusion if Barack Obama had done exactly the same thing?” And the answer is yes, I would reach the same conclusion. We were constantly asked for eight years–

BRENNAN: If Barack Obama, on a phone call with another world leader, suggested an investigation into someone who also happened to be the frontrunner from the opposing party, you would be- your party- you would be fine with that?

BLUNT: Well, I will tell you that for eight years we were constantly challenged on my side. The president should be impeached for this, the president should be impeached for withholding records with Fast and Furious, the president should have delivered–

BRENNAN: Right.

BLUNT: –the- the–

BRENNAN: But on this particular parallel–

BLUNT: Yeah, let me- let me make my point here. And- and I resisted that. And I understand what our Democrat friends have heard for three years now on this topic, because we heard it for eight years. One of the articles of impeachment is the president resisted giving information to the Congress, which is exactly what President Obama did. It’s what President Clinton did. It’s what President Bush did. Every president’s done that. I- I wouldn’t have been for impeaching any of them, for asserting their privilege to make you go to court to prove that you really needed the information the president had. That’s one- that’s one half of the cases of impeachment right there.

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