MSNBC analyst shreds GOP claim impeachment is an effort to change the 2016 election

Republicans have claimed that the reason Democrats have sought impeachment, either for the Russia scandal or the Ukraine scandal, is that they want to unmake the 2016 election. Speaking to MSNBC Sunday, NYU Law Prof. Melissa Murray ripped the claim to shreds.

First, impeachment would only remove President Donald Trump if the Republican Senate voted to do so. If the president were removed, the new president wouldn't be Hillary Clinton; it would be Mike Pence, getting Democrats no victories other than upholding the rule of law.

"As these proceedings go away, there is building support for impeachment; it will require a supermajority of the Senate in order to convict and remove the president, which will require some Republican Senators to peel off and depart from the path," Murray said. "But I think the really important thing that Bob has mentioned here is this idea that the Republicans are touting that impeachment is a backend effort to basically subvert the will of the people. I think the testimony that was presented yesterday makes clear that that claim is specious."

She cited the Founding Fathers and framers of the Constitution saying that their biggest concern was a perversion of the election process by foreign intervention. Such interference would be considered a grave offense, and there had to be some kind of check to prevent it from happening. It's the reason an investigation into the Russian election meddling was so critical. Whether Trump was found guilty or not, it was proven that Russia did work to sway the 2016 election, spent money to do so, hired and tasked operatives with doing it and have reaped the benefits since.

"The only rational check would be impeachment," Murray continued. "They made that case. This was a quid pro quo intended to solicit aid in the re-election of the president."

Watch the full segment below: