'We’re going to have to do it’: Financial Services Chair expects Pelosi and Hoyer to come around on impeachment
The chair of the powerful House Financial Services Committee predicted that Democrats "are going to have to impeach" President Donald Trump.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) was interviewed by Chris Matthews on MSNBC's "Hardball" on Tuesday.
Matthews asked about the "arrogance" by the administration in avoiding Congressional oversight.
"Let me just say that this president is more than arrogant," Waters replied. "This president has defied everybody and everything. As a matter of fact, he has no respect for Congress and he is going to fight tooth and nail to keep us from going forward with any further investigations.
"And one thing that the Democrats have to understand, he is not going give an inch. As a matter of fact, he defied us on his tax returns and he's defying us as we seek documents from various levels of government, he even has gone to a lawsuit against Mr. Cummings and his committee," she continued. "And one of the things that is the Democrats have to got to understand, we are in a fight. We are in a fight with a president that has no respect for the Congress of the United States of America."
"What are you going to do about it?" Matthews asked.
"We are going to keep going and issue the subpoenas. And in issuing the subpoenas, we will have to fight in the courts," she replied.
Waters said, "impeachment is the tool by which the Constitution has given us to make that decision and to protect the American people."
Matthews noted a tweet Waters had sent earlier on Tuesday.
Matthews asked when Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer would back impeachment.
"I don't know when they will come to that conclusion," Waters admitted.
"The American people, in the final analysis, are going to push on the Congress to do the impeachment," Waters predicted.
"My calls are overwhelming in my office about impeachment. I have so many calls and 90% of all the calls that I'm getting -- people see me on the street and they are talking about impeachment. 'When are you going to impeach?' And I think as the level of interest and not putting up with this president any longer comes to the forefront and lays on and leans on and pressures the Congress of the United States, we are going have to do it," Waters predicted.
"We are going to have to impeach," she concluded. "I just wish it was sooner than later."
Watch:
'Deadline: White House' graphic breaking down Trump's tweets (screengrab)[/caption]