CNN's Camerota Tries to Get Klobuchar to Say Trump Broke the Law

September 27th, 2019 10:12 AM

On Friday's New Day show, as Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar appeared as a guest to discuss the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, CNN's Alisyn Camerota not only failed to ask any contrarian questions of her liberal guest, but she even tried to prod her into saying that she believes President Trump broke the law in asking the Ukrainian president to investigate Hunter Biden's business dealings.

At about 7:19 a.m. Eastern, Senator Klobuchar likened the matter to Watergate and then claimed that it was even worse:

And so now you have the President of the United States basically threatening this foreign leader, saying, 'hey,' freezing the aid, and then saying, "I need a favor." And in the context of that same conversation, bringing up digging up political dirt on one of his opponents. You go back to Watergate, Alisyn, it's just a newfangled version of that -- a President involved in a break-in to get dirt for a campaign, and then there was a coverup.

She added: "What do we have here? Worse -- a President using the levers of national security to get dirt on an opponent from a foreign power that is dependent on us, and then there is a coverup in terms of where they put the information."

Camerota then asked: "So are you saying the President broke the law?"

After Klobuchar declined to claim President Trump broke the law, Camerota seemed baffled as she followed up:

But, I mean, when you just look at the law -- let me just read a portion of it. "It shall be unlawful for a foreign national either directly or through any other person to make a contribution of money or other thing of value to promise expressly or implied to make any such contribution for any person to solicit, accept, or receive any such contribution from a foreign national is illegal."

The CNN host added: "I mean, what more -- you've seen the transcript of the phone -- what more do you need to know?"

Transcript follows:

7:19 a.m. Eastern

SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): And so now you have the President of the United States basically threatening this foreign leader, saying, 'hey,' freezing the aid, and then saying, 'I need a favor.' And in the context of that same conversation, bringing up digging up political dirt on one of his opponents. You go back to Watergate, Alisyn, it's just a newfangled version of that -- a President involved in a break-in to get dirt for a campaign, and then there was a coverup.

What do we have here? Worse -- a President using the levers of national security to get dirt on an opponent from a foreign power that is dependent on us, and then there is a coverup in terms of where they put the information.

ALISYN CAMEROTA: So are you saying the President broke the law?

SENATOR KLOBUCHAR: I'm saying we must have impeachment investigations. I believe that this kind of conduct does rise to that level, but, like any good juror in the case, I'm over at the Senate, we have to look at the evidence, but I've been calling for impeachment for months.

CAMEROTA: But, I mean, when you just look at the law -- let me just read a portion of it. "It shall be unlawful for a foreign national either directly or through any other person to make a contribution of money or other thing of value to promise expressly or implied to make any such contribution for any person to solicit, accept, or receive any such contribution from a foreign national is illegal."

I mean, what more -- you've seen the transcript of the phone -- what more do you need to know?