Failed presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris used her occasion to ask a written question during the Senate impeachment trial on Wednesday to feature the old Access Hollywood video of President Donald Trump.
“President Nixon said, quote, ‘When the president does it that means that it is not illegal.’ End quote. Before he was elected, President Trump said, quote, ‘When you’re a star they let you do it, you can do anything,’ end quote,” the Harris note read.
That particular Trump quote was from the infamous Access Hollywood tape that was used by the Clinton campaign in an effort to turn voters against him ahead of the 2016 election. During the campaign, Trump apologized for the remarks in the video recorded in 2005, and he went on to win the presidential election in 2016.
Harris continued by expresseing concern in her question that Trump’s comment about his celebrity was just one more example of how the president believed he was above the law.
“If the Senate fails to hold the president accountable for misconduct, how would that undermine the integrity of our system of justice?” the note asked.
Impeachment manager House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff replied that he shared the fears voiced by Harris.
“I think if you look at the pattern in this president’s conduct and his words, what you see is a president who identifies the state as being himself,” Schiff replied.