Chuck Todd Confronts Lamar Alexander: You’re Not Concerned Trump May Seek Foreign Interference Again?

Senator Lamar Alexander (R- TN) decided to vote against calling additional witnesses in the impeachment trial, arguing that while he believes President Donald Trump’s actions were inappropriate he’s seen enough evidence of it and doesn’t believe it rises to the level of impeachment.

Alexander defended his vote on Meet the Press and told Chuck Todd, “I don’t think it’s the kind of inappropriate action that the framers would expect the Senate to substitute its judgment for the people in picking a president.”

“What the president should have done, if he was upset about Joe Biden and his son and what they were doing in Ukraine, he should have called the attorney general and told him that and let the attorney general handle it the way they always handle cases that involve public figures,” Alexander said.

“Why do you think he didn’t do that?” Todd asked.

“Maybe he didn’t know to do it,” Alexander responded.

At one point Todd asked, “Are you at all concerned, though, when you seek foreign interference, he does not believe he’s done anything wrong. That what has happened here might encourage him that he can continue to do this?”

“I don’t think so. I hope not,” Alexander said. “Enduring an impeachment is something that nobody should like. Even the president said he didn’t want that on his resume. I don’t blame him. So if a call like that gets you an impeachment, I would think he would think twice before he did it again.”

“What example in the life of Donald Trump has he been chastened?” Todd asked.

“I haven’t studied his life that close, but like most people that survive to make it to the presidency, he’s sure of himself. But hopefully he’ll look at this and say that was a mistake, I shouldn’t have done that… and focus on the strengths of this administration, which are considerable,” Alexander responded.

You can watch above, via NBC.