Rahm Emanuel says Democrats should focus on ethics reforms rather than impeaching Trump

Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel called on Democratic lawmakers Sunday to set aside plans to impeach President Donald Trump if they win a majority in the House, pushing them instead to pass an ethics reform package.

Asked directly on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” whether Democrats should take up impeachment in January if they take the House gavel, Emanuel said: “Short answer: No, because it’s not going anywhere, and it’s going to be a food fight, and it’s just going to be we return to the politics of fighting.”

Emanuel, who served as President Barack Obama’s first chief of staff, proposed that Democrats could instead “pass an ethics package” to address the corruption he said is taking place in the Trump administration.

In a September NBC News poll, government corruption emerged as the second-highest-rated issue voters were concerned about ahead of November’s midterm elections. On the airwaves, tackling government corruption and banning congressional stock trading has been a top issue in campaign ads from Democrats and Republicans.

Should Democrats take back the House, Emanuel said, they should “hold [the Trump administration] accountable, and then pass an ethics package.”

“You’re never going to get an impeachment,” he added.

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health