Trump impeachment hearings
Former White House counsel John Dean says Trump is already more impeachable than Nixon
Former White House counsel John Dean certainly didn't find the first public impeachment hearing boring.
Dean, who served as White House counsel under former President Richard Nixon, concluded on CNN Wednesday that just one day into the public hearings, there's more evidence from witnesses against Trump than there was against Nixon.
"What struck me today in listening to these two witnesses is they already have more than they had against Richard Nixon to impeach him, just on all accounts," he said.
Dean noted that when the House Judiciary Committee approved articles of impeachment against Nixon in 1974, "it was my testimony, a few people that were lower in the pecking order than me, and it happened before the tapes." Nixon's resignation came after the release of the "smoking gun" tape, but he was not impeached and removed from office.
Dean testified against Nixon before the Senate in June 1974, and earlier this year, he testified before the House Judiciary Committee after the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. There are "remarkable parallels" between the Mueller report and Watergate, Dean testified, also saying he sees "evidence in the report of collusion." Following the release of the rough transcript showing Trump pushing Ukraine's president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, Dean said, "there is enough evidence of an abuse of power" and "a breach of his oath of office." Brendan Morrow