Nikki Haley Ridiculed for Comparing Impeachment to the Death Penalty

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley’s skepticism that there is enough evidence to justify President Trump’s impeachment and removal from office showed itself in a rapid-fire sequence of ridiculous statements and hypotheticals — all in under a minute.

“You’re going to impeach a president for asking for a favor that didn’t happen and giving money and it wasn’t withheld?” Haley told Norah O’Donnell in an interview that aired Friday on the CBS Evening News.

Haley’s point is in line with an astounding argument put forth by the Wall Street Journal editorial board and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC): gross incompetence isn’t impeachable. If a plot is not executed to completion, they argue, consequences simply won’t be had.

Impeachment, Haley then claimed, “is like the death penalty for a public official.” Citing the White House transcript of the phone call with the Ukrainian president, Haley said, “There’s nothing in that transcript that warrants the death penalty for the president.”

.@norahodonnell: “Do you think ultimately [POTUS] will be impeached & removed from office?”
Nikki Haley: “No. On what? You’re going to impeach a president for asking for a favor that didn’t happen & giving money & it wasn’t withheld? I don’t know what you would impeach him on.” pic.twitter.com/GtSwBokVkU

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) November 9, 2019

For some reason, Haley chose to link the constitutionally-ordained process of investigating and potentially removing from office the commander-in-chief for high crimes and misdemeanors with capital punishment. Needless to say, this did not go over well.

.@NikkiHaley had a choice: Do what’s right, defend the rule of law, defend the Constitution or…suck up to Trump. She chose Trump. https://t.co/rnshQPV82P

— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) November 9, 2019

You should read the Constitution. 🇺🇸

— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) November 9, 2019

Irresponsible and absurd commentary from Nikki Haley: https://t.co/9okMvVrJRz

— Katie Phang (@KatiePhang) November 9, 2019

But Haley wasn’t done there.

“The biggest thing that bothers me is the American people should decide this,” she said, seemingly unaware of what the 435 elected representatives in House of Representatives are supposed to do.

“Why do we have a bunch of people in Congress making this decision?”

Outstanding question, Nikki.