Rep. Doug Collins says Democrats "know they can't" impeach Trump
Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said congressional Democrats "have not brought up" impeachment of President Trump because they know it would by futile.
"They know they can't," Collins said on "Face the Nation" Sunday.
"Why would you impeach a president except for on what is found out?" he added. "Because Mueller said there was no collusion, there was no obstruction."
While special counsel Robert Mueller did not find the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government during the 2016 election, he described in his findings a series of concerted efforts by Mr. Trump to hinder an investigation that cast a shadow over his presidency. Mueller said his probe — which he noted encountered "difficult issues" of law — did not establish the president committed an obstruction of justice, but also did not "exonerate" him.
Collins cited the economic growth in recent months to vouch for Mr. Trump.
"We have the best economy we've had in years, 50 years of unemployment," he said. "What were you impeaching him for?"
The Georgia Republican also defended Attorney General William Barr for skipping a scheduled testimony before his Judiciary Committee last week. After days of tense negotiations over an extra hour of questioning by the panel's staff and counsel — which the attorney general opposed — the Justice Department announced Barr would not attend the hearing, prompting Chairman Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, to say he was considering issuing a contempt citation against the attorney general.
Collins said Barr did not want to participate in a "show" organized by the committee's Democratic majority.