With the report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller filed and clearing President Trump of colluding with the Russians, Donna Brazile, the former chair for the Democratic National Committee and newly-minted Fox News contributor, was put on the spot by Ed Henry: Will she now see Donald Trump as the legitimately elected president of the United States. After the 2016 election, Brazile and a lot of Democrats questioned the integrity of the election because Hillary Clinton lost (via USA Today):
Donna Brazile, who led the Democratic National Committee during the most tumultuous days of the 2016 campaign, says that revelations about Russian meddling makes her "absolutely" question the legitimacy of Donald Trump's election.
But impeachment?
Not yet, she said in an interview with Capital Download as she promoted her new book, titled Hacks. She urged restive Democrats to delay talk of trying to remove Trump from office — probably not a realistic prospect anyway while Republicans control both houses of Congress — until special counsel Robert Mueller and House and Senate committees conclude their investigations into what Moscow did and whether Trump associates colluded with them.
"If the impeachment process needs to be started, then we need to wait until we have all of the evidence on the table," Brazile told USA TODAY's video newsmaker series.
The Mueller report interviewed some 500 people and issued over 2,500 subpoenas. In the end, it was clear: no collusion between Trump, his campaign staff, or Russia. Half the country knew this already. We’ve known this for months. On a story, this big, things leak. There would’ve been evidence to support such an explosive claim; none came. Time and after time it was reported, and even admitted by some Democrats, that there was zero evidence to support Trump-Russia collusion. So, with Mueller, the Democrats’ Hail Mary on impeachment, blowing up in their faces—it’s time to hold these clowns to account. And Henry did just that (via Caleb Howe/Mediaite):
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[Exchange begins around 5:25 mark]
“Donna, real quick question from me,” said Henry. “Do you now accept the president as the legitimate president of the United States, having won the 2016 election fair and square?
“I believe that the president and his attacks on not just his opponent, but the way in which he’s conducted himself in office as our president, not the Republican president, not his base–he has to prove that he is worthy of the job that George Washington held over 230 years ago,” said Brazile.
“I am now — I will say this to the president: Mr. President, this is the woman you attacked, called me a liar for talking about the Russian investigation during the campaign when we were being attacked,” she said. “I’m willing to accept the fact that you had nothing to do with it, if only you will spend the next 589 days in office, doing everything in your office, in your power as the president of the United States to protect us from future hacking once again.”
[…]
Henry interjected to ask his question again. “Donna on the point that you acknowledged, that no American, Trump official was involved, would you acknowledge he won the election?”
Brazile said she wasn’t going to go back and re-litigate 2016.
Though she did say she still feels the hurt of the 2016 election. Sorry, not sorry. This woman leaked the CNN debate questions to the Hillary campaign during the primaries. Yes, the Bernie Sanders folks probably should be more incensed, but this woman is talking about integrity. Regardless, after all this, Trump won. He beat the Democrats and the media again. He’s president. They’re not. And now, even Brazile has to admit that, even if she’s dragged kicking and screaming.
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