Rep. Jerry Nadler declares ‘constitutional crisis’: ‘The president is disobeying the law’

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) on Wednesday said that he's going full speed ahead with his plan to hold Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt of Congress -- and he said that it would be accurate to describe the current situation as a "constitutional crisis."

During an interview with CNN's Alisyn Camerota, Nadler said that he felt he had no choice but to hold Barr in contempt given that the Trump White House is refusing to give Congress any of the information it's been requesting.

Camerota then asked Nadler if he thinks the United States is in a constitutional crisis. Nadler initially hedge at first because he said that particular phrase is often overused to describe routine disputes between the executive and legislative branches.

In this case, however, Nadler believes the phrase is justified.

"We are in one," he said. "We are in one because the president is disobeying the law, is refusing all information to Congress."

Nadler said that his only alternative to holding Barr in contempt would be complete inaction -- and he said that would only validate the administration's belief that it is above the law.

"That's a lawless administration," he said. "We cannot have a lawless administration."

Watch the video below.