Frank Luntz & Elizabeth Holtzman on Impeachment

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Can I just start by asking you how you believe the Baghdadi capture and kill, rather, will affect the current political dynamic in Washington, if at all? Frank Luntz, let me ask you from the perspective of the White House and the Republicans, what you think.

FRANK LUNTZ, POLLSTER AND REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, let me be clear, I do not represent the Republicans. I’m a pollster, focus group moderate. And when it comes to issues of impeachment, this is one of the cases where you are supposed to put aside your partisanship and do what is right for your country. So, I do not speak for the administration or for the president. For the American people, this ongoing conflict has had a negative impact on our sense of security and safety. In polling that we’ve done, over 80 percent of Americans think that the world will be — is less safe today than it was 10 years ago, and a similar amount think the world will be less safe going forward. This killing will have a positive impact on the public psyche. But I don’t believe within a week or 10 days it will have any impact on whether the public is supporting or opposing an impeachment investigation.

AMANPOUR: That is really interesting. Elizabeth Holtzman, before we get into the nitty-gritty of the politics right the now around impeachment, how do you feel? Do you feel similar to Frank Luntz about the sort of bounce that the president might get from this very important raid?

ELIZABETH HOLTZMAN (D-NY), FORMER U.S. HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE: I agree with him. I think for the moment, the American people, or most of them, are probably very pleased and proud with the performance in the U.S. military and with the elimination of this avowed enemy. On the other hand, we have business to take care of and the American people understand that with regard to the president of the United States should be removed from office. That is a very grave matter. And the question of whether he abused the powers of his office is something that Americans will focus on, are focusing on. Glad to see that good things can happen, but there are more fundamental issues that have to be dealt with and will be dealt with in the normal course. It may give him a slight bump. I’m not a pollster. But I think up in the long run it won’t affect anything. That will be the facts that are brought forward that will make the difference for the American people.

AMANPOUR: So, let me continue with you for a moment, Elizabeth Holtzman. Do you think that the president is on his way out? I mean, what do you think? You have sat there on the Judiciary Committee, you helped draft the articles of impeachment against President Nixon. What is your timeline, if you have one, your crystal ball tell you about how this is going for the president?

HOLTZMAN: Well, let me say a few things. When we started out in Watergate, when the House Judiciary Committee started the impeachment proceedings, we didn’t know anything. We had no polling data, we didn’t know what the constitutional language meant, what is a high crime and misdemeanor, there hasn’t been a presidential impeachment in 100 years. We were starting from scratch.