Jake Tapper Grills GOP Rep.: Are You OK With Future Presidents Asking Foreign Countries to Investigate Rivals?

CNN’s Jake Tapper spoke with Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner — a Republican on the House Judiciary Committee — and pressed him on his dismissal of the “impeachment witch hunt.”

Following the release of the impeachment report from House Intel Democrats, Sensenbrenner said he hasn’t seen any impeachable offenses from the president and that Democrats are desperately trying to impeach him on something.

At one point he said ultimately “the aid was released and Ukraine got the money.”

“After the whistleblower came forward,” Tapper said.

“Well, it’s after the whistleblower came forward,” Sensenbrenner acknowledged, before bringing up the corruption in Ukraine and saying, “I think we all ought to be assured that when we do release foreign aid to any other country that money is being used for the purpose for which it was sent and not ending up in somebody’s pocket or Swiss bank account.”

Tapper asked him about the argument that giving the president a pass on this sets a dangerous precedent:

“So I guess one of the other points that the Democrats are trying to make here is that this is setting a precedent. And that if Republicans allow this to be deemed acceptable, then in the future a President Elizabeth Warren could press China to investigate Jared Kushner’s family and how they promoted investor visas in that country, or President Buttigieg could ask Azerbaijan to look into the the Trump Tower deal there. There are all sorts of allegations of corruption. That would be okay with you, for a Democratic president to ask a foreign country to do them a favor and look into a political rival?”

Sensenbrenner said in response that “we have mutual legal assistance treaties with most countries,” before denouncing the Democrats for for “completely throw[ing] separation of powers in the wastebasket.”

Tapper also played a clip of Sensenbrenner during the Clinton impeachment saying, “He has not owned up to the false testimony, the stonewalling, the obstructing… The president lied, obstructed, and abused power.”

“I think a lot people will see that clip and think you get offended when Democrats abuse power but you don’t get offended when Republicans abuse power,” Tapper said.

Sensenbrenner said there’s a difference, saying Ken Starr was an independent investigator and Adam Schiff isn’t and that while Clinton was under oath, “Whatever Trump did or did not do on that phone call was not under oath. It was not in a judicial proceeding where the courts have to have the truth in order to administer justice.”

You can watch above, via CNN.