Former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, after breaking from the Democratic Party more than 20 years ago to slam then-President Bill Clinton for his "immoral" behavior, is calling on Republican senators to put their country ahead of their party to ensure an impartial impeachment trial for President Donald Trump.
He also told The Washington Post that he thinks Trump should apologize and express regret for his actions concerning Ukraine, just as Clinton expressed regrets concerning his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky.
Lieberman, the 2000 vice presidential nominee who later became an independent, said a friend has asked him to express his opinions as a participant defending Trump in the impeachment trial, based on his experience in Clinton's trial, but he's declined the request because of his work chairing No Labels, which is working to bring bipartisanship back into the government.
The former senator also pointed out that people had also been talking about impeaching President Ronald Reagan over the Iran-Contra scandal, but that talk "totally dissipated" after Reagan spoke to the nation from the Oval Office and accepted responsibility.
Lieberman said that Trump won't likely apologize, but if he did, he would have picked up some support from House Democrats and "it would have made it a lot easier for some of the Republicans in the Senate who are struggling with this now to vote without hesitation to acquit him."
Lieberman did not vote to find Clinton guilty and said he has not come to a conclusion about Trump and won't until the Senate trial concludes.
He said he also thinks some witnesses should be called in Trump's impeachment trial, particularly if they did not already testify in the House and are not part of that chamber's record from its impeachment inquiry hearings.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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