Bobby Jindal Gives a Republican Stance on Impeachment

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: What do you make of Republican senators, obviously, a Republican-dominated Senate already saying that their minds are made up, that whatever is presented, their minds are made up?

FMR. GOV. BOBBY JINDAL (R-LA): Look, I think this whole thing has been political theater from the beginning. The House Democrats were clear even before the debate began, even before they heard their first witness, they were determined to impeach President Trump. They knew the Senate was not going to remove him. This has all been political theater from the beginning. I think the Democrats thought they were going to hurt President Trump by doing this, I think they’re hurting the country. Impeachment is a very, very serious responsibility for Congress. I was in Congress. I take the powers of Congress very seriously. My concern — and everybody knew at the start of this, the House was in a vote to impeach him, the Senate is going to vote to acquit him. My concern is, what kind of president are we setting for the next president? What happens when the next president faces a House run by a different — the other political party? Does that mean the next Democratic president facing a Republican House is also going to be impeached? And so, I think the House Democrats have had a very bad precedent here. I don’t think Speaker Pelosi actually wanted to do this. I think she understood how bad this was for the country, how bad it was for her party. I think she was forced to do this by the radical elements in her party. So, I think the quicker we get done with this and move back to the business of the country, the better. Especially in an election year. If the Democrats feel that strongly, they should make their case to the American people and let the voters decide in November.

AMANPOUR: I want to ask you a question, because, you know, we hear — I can only say we hear, that there are a number of Republican grandees, a number of traditional conservative Republicans, maybe you’re one of them, who have a huge amount of discomfort with the person and personality of Donald Trump, even if they’re happy that the Republicans are in government, that the certain policies are enacted that you like, but nonetheless, are quite unhappy about him. You wouldn’t know that from what they say in public. Here is Carly Fiorina who was once a GOP presidential contender. She’s a businesswoman, obviously. And she’s recently just been talking to our Poppy Harlow. Just take a listen to what she recently said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLY FIORINA, FMR. U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it is vital that he be impeached. Whether removed this close to an election, I don’t know. But I think the conduct is impeachable.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: What does the Republican Party today stand for?

FIORINA: I don’t know. Loyalty to Trump is what I think it stands for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: And when pressed, she said she didn’t know who she would vote for in 2020, presumably depending on who the Democrats put up. I mean, what do you say to that? Here is a Republican who says the president should be impeached. And yet, might even vote for him again.

JINDAL: Well, I would say two things. One, certainly, the president is guilty of whacky tweets and he gives many examples of intemperate behavior but you have to contrast that with record highs in the stock market, record lows unemployment.