Liberal Benefactor Brings Trump Impeachment Campaign To Springfield

Wealthy liberal donor Tom Steyer brought his "Need to Impeach" President Trump campaign to Springfield on Tuesday, taking aim at prominent congressional Democrats with the power to start an impeachment process.

One of Steyer's first targets is Massachusetts' Rep. Richard Neal, the House Ways and Means Committee chairman.

According to a spokesman, Neal, who has served as a congressman for 30 years and is one of the most senior Democrats in the House, has been in talks with House counsel and the Joint Committee on Taxation about how to compel Trump to release his tax returns. It's a move Steyer has repeatedly called for.

"A strong case is being built, and Chairman Neal will continue to conduct this process in a judicious, methodical and deliberative manner," Neal's spokesman said. "He also strongly believes that the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller must be allowed to continue."

But for Steyer, that isn't fast enough. "I think if we're going to impeach and remove this lawless president, then we've got to get this show on the road," he said.

Steyer joined WBUR's Morning Edition host Bob Oakes to talk about his campaign.

On why he thinks Trump meets the criteria for impeachment

"We've had 54 constitutional lawyers give us 10 criteria under which he's met the grounds for impeachment. The two most obvious ones are straightforward corruption and obstruction of justice."

On why he wants House Democrats to ask for Trump's tax returns now

"We're about a month and a half into Democratic control of the House, and they're giving reasons why they should wait and why they're going to be deliberate and why they have to be careful. There's nothing to be deliberate about. If, in fact, we want to get the information, we've got to simply request it. We should move as expeditiously as possible. They're moving at a pace that is so slow that, in fact, by the time we have all the information, by the time it's been tied up in a bow, the next thing they're going to say is, 'oh my gosh, let's just wait for the election in November of 2020.' "

On why he believes people should be united in moving toward impeachment

"We are telling the truth and trying to do the right thing and asking Americans — across the aisle, across every geographic division, across every division that people use to divide Americans — to come together and do a simple thing, which is to insist on the rule of law, to stand up for the rights and values and safety of the American people. Do I think that is something that is a pipe dream? Absolutely not. That is what great countries do. If in fact we are so cynical and so negative that we say that we as a country can not come together to throw out the most lawless president in American history, then that scares me. And I refuse to be scared."