Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton claimed Tuesday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) guidelines against indicting a sitting president is the only reason President Donald Trump has not been indicted for obstruction of justice.
“If you read that part of the report, it could not be clearer,” Clinton stated during an interview at the 2019 TIME 100 Summit, according to Mediaite. “We do have checks and balances in America and there is this thing called Congress. You could not be more explicit than ‘Please, look at this. You may conclude it doesn’t rise to an impeachable offense, that’s your job, but I’m giving this to you.’”
“I think [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi] is right to be cautious about making sure whatever is done in this Congress is more in accord with the very careful approach of 1973 and [1974],” she added, referencing former President Richard Nixon.
Clinton continued, “There’s enough there that any other person who engaged in those acts would have been indicted” if not for DOJ guidelines that state a sitting president cannot be indicted.
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 7: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks about reproductive rights at Barnard College, January 7, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Democrats have been split on the impeachment question since the release of the Mueller report last week, with some Democratic leaders, such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib favoring an impeachment resolution against Trump. Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, House Speaker Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer have advocated for a more cautious approach.
Those in favor of starting the impeachment process claim that the Mueller report provides evidence that Trump attempted to obstruct the special counsel’s investigation.
“The Mueller report lays out facts showing that a hostile foreign government attacked our 2016 election to help Donald Trump and Donald Trump welcomed that help,” Warren alleged Friday. “Once elected, Donald Trump obstructed the investigation into that attack.”