CNN’s Toobin Goes Off: ‘Egregiously Inappropriate’ for Trump to Float Pardon For Manafort

CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin went off on President Donald Trump Wednesday for floating a pardon for Paul Manafort, his erstwhile campaign chairman accused of lying by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

In an interview with the New York Post Wednesday, Trump said the possibility of a pardon for Manafort is not “off the table.”

“It was never discussed, but I wouldn’t take it off the table,” Trump said. “Why would I take it off the table?”

CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked Toobin if the suggestion was “legally dubious,” or approaching obstruction of justice.

“You have to remember, we are now in the realm of possible impeachable offenses,” Toobin replied. “And that is much more a political question than a legal question.”

“Is this something that would motivate now a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives to impeach the president?” Toobin asked. “My belief is that the answer is no.”

Toobin noted that Democratic leaders know they don’t have the votes to impeach Trump and therefore see that effort as a “fools errand.”

“However, that shouldn’t distract us from the fact that this is egregiously inappropriate behavior on the part of the president,” he said. “It is all but an encouragement to Paul Manafort to stop cooperating. To, ‘don’t get involved with Mueller.’ To ‘take your punishment, I will take care of you later.’ It’s egregiously wrong, but is it something that will lead to impeachment? I don’t think so.”

Watch above, via CNN.