- Washington Free Beacon - https://freebeacon.com -

MSNBC's Katy Tur Dwells on Impeachment Questions During Leahy Interview

MSNBC host Katy Tur repeatedly pressed Sen. Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.) about his party's calls for impeachment against President Trump at the end of their interview on Monday.

Tur, filling in for Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press Daily," told Leahy near the end of their discussion on the firing of FBI Director James Comey that she had a "last question," mentioning the calls for impeachment of Trump by Rep. Maxine Waters (D., Calif.) and others in the Democratic Party.

"You're the elder statesman of your party, one of them," she said. "What do you say to them about that?"

"Well, impeachment, of course, has to start in the House, and the House had has been almost slavish in going along with whatever Mr. Trump has wanted," Leahy said, reeling off criticism of Trump on health care and the environment.

Leahy said Republicans would never go for impeachment while in control of the House, but he said he wanted to get to the bottom of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and whether anyone in the U.S. cooperated.

"Let's get those questions answered in a nonpolitical, nonpartisan way, and then we can decide where we go next," Leahy said.

Tur wasn't done, however.

"How do you feel about members of your party, though, talking about impeachment?" Tur asked.

Leahy said every member of Congress could speak for themselves, but he said Russia's involvement in the election and controversial Trump administration actions had him worried.

Tur kept on, though, with queries about impeachment.

"Senator, I know impeachment proceedings start in the House, but have you considered it?" Tur asked.

"I am focused entirely on getting what the facts are," Leahy said. "I was a prosecutor for eight years ... Get me the facts. Let me look at the facts."

"I ask that, though, because you're not telling your fellow Democratic colleagues to step off the gas there," Tur said.

"I learned you can't really tell other people what to do," he said.