Jimmy Carter: I would prefer Trump not be impeached

Former President Carter said Sunday that he would prefer President Trump not be impeached, even if special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation exposes wrongdoing on the part of the president.

Carter told CBS’s “Sunday Morning” that he believes the oversight of Congress and the Supreme Court is enough to adequately check Trump’s actions in the White House, and removing the president would likely not be necessary.

“But my own preference would be that he not be impeached, but that he be able to serve out his term, because I think he wants to do a good job,” he said. “And I’m willing to help him, if I can help him, and give him the benefit of the doubt.”

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Carter also said that Mueller should be more forthcoming about the state of his investigation by revealing whether he has evidence that Trump broke the law.

“I think Mueller’s been very successful in keeping his cards close to his vest and not revealing any plans,” Carter said. “But my wish is that Mr. Mueller would go ahead and make a decision, even if it’s not anything personally that President Trump has done to violate the law; then I think he ought to make that obvious.”

“And if he has violated the law, that ought to be revealed as well,” he added.

Mueller is investigating, among other things, whether members of the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election, as well as whether the president has sought to obstruct the probe.

Trump has repeatedly decried the investigation as a “witch hunt” and has denied that he or anyone else on his campaign coordinated with the Russians to help swing the election.