Fox News’ Andrew Napolitano should have put to bed Trumper whining about the unfairness of the impeachment process when he told viewers Republicans “had more participation” in the Trump impeachment process than they had in Watergate or than they gave Democrats when they impeached Bill Clinton.
Appearing on Fox’s Your World show, Napolitano was introduced by host Neil Cavuto as Fox News’ “judicial analyst extraordinaire,”
First, Napolitano was asked if Rep. Adam Schiff, who is leading the impeachment inquiry, is “doing things correctly.”
“He’s doing the same thing that the Republicans did to the Democrats” in the Clinton case “and that Democrats did in the investigation of Richard Nixon back in 1974,” Napolitano said.
Cavuto asked, “So if the other side wanted to entertain witnesses of their own and let’s say Schiff ignores them – did Peter Rodino do that in the House during Watergate? Did we see that with Sam Ervin in the Senate?”
In short, yes indeedy.
NAPOLITANO: We saw it with Henry Hyde, who was the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee when the Republicans were pursuing Bill Clinton. But the system is basically the same. Nixon and Clinton – the data, the evidence from the witnesses was acquired in secret by special prosecutors before grand juries. They already knew what the witnesses were going to say and then that was aired in public.
Here, the data – the testimony, the raw testimony from the witnesses was done in secret but with transcripts and with Republicans participating. They actually had more participation than they had in the Nixon case and more than the Republicans gave the Democrats in the Bill Clinton investigation.
Yet, even the producers on this show ignored Napolitano’s comment. As he spoke, lower-third banner read, “HOUSE GOP CALLING OUT DEMOCRATS OVER IMPEACHMENT INQURY WISH LIST.”
Napolitano added that “the real test” comes tomorrow when the Democrats will need to make their case and cause people to say, “Yeah, there’s a there there.” Otherwise, he said, “It’s going to be difficult for them to deal with the consequences of an impeachment that does not result in a conviction.”
Cavuto played devil’s advocate. “Some go so far as to say” that even if there was a quid pro quo pro, that would not be impeachable, he suggested.
Napolitano shot that down. “Oh, it’s clearly impeachable because the president requested something that’s criminal to ask for: Can you help my campaign?”
“But he didn’t say it,” Cavuto countered.
“No, no, of course he didn’t say it that way,” Napolitano replied. “But he basically said I need a favor, and my people, Rudy Giuliani, will be telling you the aid’s not coming ‘til I get the favor.”
However, when Cavuto argued, “It could be said it’s not that black and white,” Napolitano conceded that the purpose of the public hearings is to have the public decide.
“Should be an interesting day,” Napolitano said.
“I’m talking about the bond market tomorrow. That’s all I’m focused on,” Cavuto quipped.
Watch the expert commentary most Fox News hosts will almost surely disregard below, from the November 12, 2019 Your World.