Scarborough to Pelosi: ‘Our constitutional republic literally hangs on’ what you do on impeachment

MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough told Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday that “our constitutional republic literally hangs on the actions” that she and other lawmakers make in the coming months around impeachment during an interview on “Morning Joe.”

“I know your mom and dad stay with you every day. What has your dad taught you to get you through a time like this? What do you keep in the back of your mind as our constitutional republic literally hangs on the actions that you and members of this House and Senate will make over the next couple of months?” the former GOP congressman asked of Pelosi.

{mosads}“Well, you’re nice to ask about them,” Pelosi responded. “I’m a believer, so I believe that they know everything that we are doing. I am prayerful about them every single day. But I do think that when I was born, I was born into a family that was deeply patriotic. We loved the flag. Proud of our Italian American heritage, devoutly Catholic and staunchly Democratic.”

In the extensive interview with the U.S. Capitol in the background of the outdoor set, the Speaker also claimed that Attorney General William Barr is going “rogue” in his efforts to help the president. 

She described his actions, and those of others, as being a part of a “cover-up” for Trump’s conversations with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which are at the heart of the impeachment probe.

“He’s gone rogue,” Pelosi said. “I think where they’re going is a cover-up of a cover-up.”

“I think it’s sad, to have a Justice Department go so rogue,” she added. “Well, they have been for a while. And now it just makes matters worse.”

President Trump is under scrutiny for pressing Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden. A whistleblower complaint alleges that White House officials observing the call thought Trump had abused his office, and that they engaged in activities to cover up the call.

Trump has said he did nothing wrong, and has accused Democrats of starting another “witch hunt” against him.

On Friday, he called on House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) to “immediately” resign from Congress for misquoting Trump in a dramatic reading that Schiff later described as a parody of the president’s call with Zelensky. 

“He was supposedly reading the exact transcribed version of the call, but he completely changed the words to make it sound horrible, and me sound guilty,” Trump tweeted.  

Rep. Adam Schiff fraudulently read to Congress, with millions of people watching, a version of my conversation with the President of Ukraine that doesn’t exist. He was supposedly reading the exact transcribed version of the call, but he completely changed the words to make it…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2019

…sound horrible, and me sound guilty. HE WAS DESPERATE AND HE GOT CAUGHT. Adam Schiff therefore lied to Congress and attempted to defraud the American Public. He has been doing this for two years. I am calling for him to immediately resign from Congress based on this fraud!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2019

Several polls taken this week show the public generally evenly split on Trump’s impeachment.