Been there, done that: Bill Clinton gives Donald Trump some sage impeachment advice
He is America’s most recently impeached president and the ongoing events in American politics certainly make him feel relevant. On Thursday, November 14, William Jefferson Clinton even came out to offer sincere advice to his successor Donald Trump who is facing an impeachment inquiry over allegations that he tried to influence a foreign power to undermine a political opponent at home.
The first public hearing of the impeachment took place before the House Intelligence Committee lawmakers on Wednesday, November 13, where Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs George Kent and US envoy to Ukraine William Taylor testified. Trump though tried to look down upon the inquiry while the Republicans did their best to defend the president.
In an interview to CNN over phone, Clinton said Trump should just ignore what’s happening in Capitol Hill and concentrate on his high-profile job instead. The 73-year-old, who faced the impeachment inquiry during his second term in the late 1990s and was not removed from office eventually, said: “My message would be, look, you got hired to do a job. You don’t get the days back you blow off. Every day is an opportunity to make something good happen.”
Clinton, who was the president between 1993 and 2001 and was impeached by a GOP-controlled House on grounds of perjury to grand jury and obstruction of justice, said Trump should leave the task of fighting his impeachment to others. Clinton is the second of the two American presidents who have been impeached, the other being Andrew Johnson, also a Democrat, in 1868.
“I would say, ‘I’ve got lawyers and staff people handling this impeachment inquiry, and they should just have at it. Meanwhile, I’m going to work for the American people. That’s what I would do”, the Democrat said.
Clinton’s words almost mirror-imaged his closing line uttered during the notorious press conference where he lied about having any sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky. He had stressed on that occasion that he needed to go back to work for the people of America.
Trump's instinct and Clinton's words
Going by Trump’s actions on the day of the first impeachment hearing, it seems he hasn’t been too far from following his predecessor’s words. He had a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the day and even at the joint press conference, he said he hadn’t watched even one minute of the proceedings.
“I’ve been with the president [of Turkey], which is much more important... I’d much rather focus on peace in the Middle East”, he said. Trump even called the impeachment hearing a "witch hunt", one of his favorite terms, and a "joke."
However, there are also some dissimilarities. While Clinton approved legislation in his days of impeachment, the incumbent said several times that he is not going to work with the Congress as long as the Dems-controlled House probed him. This adamant stand has affected a number of administrative functioning, including the president’s efforts to pass the trade deal and approve legislation to reduce drug prices.
Clinton was speaking to CNN to discuss the school shooting in California that left two dead and many injured but then gave his reaction on the impeachment, something only he has seen from the receiving end in the whole country.