Rep. Maxine Waters (D., Calif.) on Thursday defended her "Impeach 45" chants against President Donald Trump, saying her words inspire people, and she will not shy away from "speaking truth to power."
Bloomberg host Julie Hyman referenced Waters receiving the lifetime achievement award at Glamour‘s 2017 "Women of the Year" awards earlier in the week, and mentioned the "Impeach 45" chant the congresswoman led after her speech. Hyman asked Waters why she was using her energy trying to impeach Trump and what she hoped to accomplish with her chants.
"I have learned, over the years that I've been in this business, that there are few people who are willing to speak truth to power and to talk about what really is bothering our society and our democracy. It is not thought well of to step outside of that box," Waters said.
"When I talk about impeachment, I described what I think about this president," Waters added. "I think he's deplorable and I think he defined himself in the campaign, the way that he mocked and mimicked a disabled journalist, the way he talked about grabbing women by their private parts, the way he called names of his peers, etcetera, etcetera. I think that's unacceptable."
She went on to talk about how she has inspired people to not to be "intimidated" by the president, and to "think outside the box" to oppose him.
"I encourage people, and I inspire people, and I show people that you don't have to be intimidated, you don't have to be afraid, and you don't have to be traditional," Waters said. "You need to step outside of the box and tell it like it is."
The congresswoman said people just need to focus on what Trump has "done."
"I say 'Impeach 45,' and I get people knowing and understanding that perhaps he should be impeached, and focused on what he's done, and the way he has defined himself, his relationship with Putin, who he won't even criticize," she said. "And the fact that there's a belief that there has been collusion and obstruction of justice, it's all there. I'm going to talk about it everywhere I go."
Waters has been one of the harshest critics of Trump's presidency, calling for Trump's impeachment as early as three weeks after he was sworn into office. She has argued Trump and his associates undoubtedly colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign. Meanwhile, FBI and Congressional inquiries into collusion are ongoing and no such determination has been made. The California representative nevertheless said she will continue to "call it like it is."
"I'm going to continue to call it like it is, and speak to truth to power, and say that this president is not capable of managing this country in a responsible way," Waters said.