Franken: Impeaching Trump could lead to zealot Pence

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/338546-sen-franken-warns-impeaching-trump-could-lead-to-zealot-pence


Franken: Impeaching Trump could lead to ‘zealot’ Pence
By Olivia Beavers - 06/20/17 09:36 AM EDT


Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is cautioning his Democratic colleagues that if President Trump is impeached, Vice President Pence would become president and he “would be worse” on domestic issues.

“He’s ideological, I consider him a zealot,” Franken told International Business Times in an interview published Monday. “And I think that in terms of a lot of domestic policy, [Pence] certainly would be worse than Trump.”

Franken said Pence, who ran Trump's transition team, was behind some of the “very worst” White House Cabinet nominees, including Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney.

Franken did say he'd feel better about having Pence as commander in chief rather than Trump.

“If you’re talking about how we handle North Korea or something like that, I’d probably be more comfortable with Pence ultimately making those decisions than Trump, because of Trump’s personality and character,” Franken said.

Franken said Trump’s behavior concerns him because it’s “so outside the norm,” adding that he is worried what Trump would do in the event that he was impeached.

“I don’t know what he will do if he looks like he’s going to be impeached and he wants to deflect,” Franken continued. “I don’t know what he’s capable of, and that really does concern me.”

Franken, a former writer for "Saturday Night Live," has largely been critical of the Trump administration. The Minnesota lawmaker is making the interview rounds as he promotes his new book, “Al Franken, Giant of the Senate.”

[luvMIdog]

1. I used to worry about that too, but now I see no difference between 45 and Pence because 45 is

letting the zealots have any concessions they want. He's signing off on every single thing they want to protect his 'throne'.

[hadEnuf]

2. Still worth impeaching Trump.

We've rolled over for the RW for decades and impeachment would draw a line on their antics.

If we do not hold them accountable, it will just get steadily worse.

[mucifer]

3. Al is very intelligent and is privy to info we aren't . It seems that he doesn't believe

pence is going down, too. That is disturbing. I'm still hoping it will be more than trump going down.

[EL34x4]

6. Pence won't go down easily because the GOP will close ranks around him.

He's part of the club. Trump isn't. The GOP will let Trump twist in the wind. They'll protect Pence.

[loyalsister]

7. Ultimately, I think Rs would be relieved

Pence would be much less of an embarrassment because he's actually competent. Trump is on his way to finally becoming a humiliating burden to some of the more serious Rs.

[Mz Pip]

4. Trump may not be a a true believer

But it hardly matters since he'll sign whatever reactionary bills land on his desk.

[BannonsLiver]

5. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, Al

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. So build a case to get rid of all of them. I can wait to make sure it's done right.

[Towlie]

10. Pense has secretly reversed his ideology due to mounting disgust with the GOP, and is now waiting..

Wait, never mind. That was just a dream I had last night.

[DaleFromWPB]

11. Not a good idea

Getting rid of the President make Pence the POTUS and he gets to appoint a new VPOTUS.

He selects Mitt Romney and then declines to run in 2020. I don't know that we anyone with the charisma of BHO to beat him again.

Then we end up with four years of Trump/Pence and eight years of Romney.

Something to think about

[nikibatts]

12. Not if he is held accountable for lying under oath.

[Orsino]

13. Pence has actually held jobs before.

A work ethic is probably the only ethic he has, but I suppose he has it.