Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) called for the House of Representatives to start impeachment proceedings against Attorney General William Barr and to immediately defund any “any investigations that Barr meddles into.” In an interview Wednesday night with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Warren said she was surprised other presidential candidates are not out denouncing Barr.
“What Barr has done should mean that we are demanding a resignation. And if that guy won’t resign, then the House should start impeachment proceedings against him,” Warren said. “And the United States Congress right now should put a rider on an upcoming bill to say, ‘Hey, no funding of any investigations that Barr meddles into. No funding Barr to meddle into investigations of Donald Trump, Donald Trump’s family or any of Donald Trump’s cronies.’ Because look what we create otherwise.”
SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): You know, I don’t.
But I can tell you this. I can tell you that it’s what I fight for, and I’m going to get out there and keep fighting for it, and keep talking about it.
I think we’re in a very frothy place right now. But do keep in mind, we have only heard from two states. We got 98 states and territories — 98 percent of our states and territories left to go, that that means we have got a lot coming up, although, I have to say, I know everybody wants to talk about the horse race.
But the thing that is really getting to me right now is what’s going on over at the Justice Department and the whole notion that we have people in our Justice Department resigning because of Donald Trump’s inappropriate influence and the attorney general overturning a sentencing of Donald Trump’s cronies.
You know, right in front of our eyes, we are watching a descent into authoritarianism. And this just seems like a moment, to me, everybody should be speaking up.
COOPER: Right.
WARREN:
Presidential candidates should be speaking up. People around this country should be speaking up. We can’t have this.
COOPER: Last night, I think I said on air that “The Washington Post” says democracy dies in darkness. It actually doesn’t. It dies on television. It dies right under the lights of — you know, the bright of day.
I mean, this is an attack on the institutions of justice.
WARREN: With people not doing something. That’s right, and with people not doing something.
I mean, understand, right now, we should all be calling for the attorney general to resign. What Barr has done should mean that we are demanding a resignation. And if that guy won’t resign, then the House should start impeachment proceedings against him.
COOPER: I know, when you called for the impeachment of the president and an investigation on impeachment, there were those who said, well, look, you know, politically, this is not going to be good for Democrats.
You said, look, there are things that are more important than that. Is there — I mean, the idea of launching another impeachment investigation, this time against the attorney general, that — I mean, again, there are political considerations, no?
WARREN: No doubt there are political considerations, but what do you think are the political considerations to sitting by and sitting on your hands?
Look, you started this with talking about how democracy dies, that it doesn’t just die in darkness, that it dies on television, with nobody doing anything.
Enough of this. We can’t just sit by and watch this happen.
And I have to say, I’m surprised the other presidential candidates aren’t out there talking about it.
