Beto O'Rourke cites a conservative thinker when explaining why he wants a Trump trial: 'I think there's enough there'

One Texas man said he wanted to know the truth from Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) about the impeachment of President Donald Trump. In the past, O'Rourke has said he would vote to impeach if a vote was held today. In the CNN town hall Thursday, O'Rourke explained his answer citing conservative columnist George Will.

"I want to tell everyone in this state, regardless of your party affiliation or any other small difference that does not have to define us at this moment, that we can come together," he began. "I want to represent all of you. It's why I'm here in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the most reliably Democratic places in the state, if not the country. We could bank on your vote, take you for granted, but I keep coming back to communities like McAllen because I want to hear your story and I want to incorporate it into our campaign."

He went on to say that Republicans, independents and Democrats have found a common cause of ambitious goals for the country.

"Making sure that in a state where half the teachers work a second job just to make ends meet that we have their backs, pay them a living wage so they can focus on one job, that we lead the conversation on immigration or that we go from being the least insured state in the United States of America whose number one provider of mental health care services in the county jail, to be a state where we are thereby and for one another, leading the way on universal, guaranteed high-quality health care," he continued.

He explained that's what he hopes to achieve.

"And I will work with anyone, any time, anywhere, including President Trump whose administration I have worked with to pass legislation, to make this country and my community better so that we can advance these goals that we all share regardless of our party affiliation," he said.

Host Dana Bash came back to the question noting he didn't answer it during his explanation about bipartisanship.

"Let me put it this way," he began again. "There may be an open question as to whether the president, then the candidate, sought to collude with the Russian government in 2016, but to quote George Will, very conservative columnist, when we saw him on that stage in Helsinki defending Vladimir Putin, the head of the country that attacked our democracy in 2016, instead of this country, and its citizens and this amazing democracy, that was collusion in action."

He said that there are too many questions about the firing of James Comey as well and whether it was an obstruction of justice. He noted on Twitter the president has told Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the Russia investigation.

"Ultimately, however, Dana, this is a political question," he explained. "A Republican colleague of mine in the House will have to come before an audience like this and explain to her constituents or his constituents how they just voted to impeach the president of their own party, how they put their country ahead of their career or their next election or the politics of the moment," O'Rourke said. "The best course to get there so that every member has all the facts and that they are compelling enough to do the right thing is to allow the full Independence and integrity of the Bob Mueller investigation. "

He explained that an impeachment is an indictment, a trial, not a guilty plea. Right now, he said that he believes there is enough evidence to conduct a trial and present the evidence for a vote.

"As you know, under the Constitution, as a member of the Senate, it's a far different bar. That is a trial with my colleagues where we look at the facts and I would not prejudge the outcome of that trial," he said. "All I am saying is that there is enough there and I think I laid out the case in both the collusion with a foreign power and the effort to obstruct justice going forward."

Watch the clip below: