Andrew Card, who served as George W. Bush’s White House chief of staff, told CNBC on Tuesday that if he were advising President Donald Trump about the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry, he would tell the president to stay out of it.
“The president should just continue to do his job,” Card said on “Squawk Box.” “I don’t think that he should be meddling in that process.” That also means Trump should not be tweeting about the investigation, he added.
In September, House Democrats announced an impeachment inquiry into whether Trump abused power by pressuring Ukraine to open an investigation into political rival Joe Biden. Public hearings, which began last week, continued Tuesday.
Last month, Card said he believed that the inquiry is warranted. He stressed Tuesday that it should be more focused on the facts. “I think the process has been more partisan than it needs to be.”
“I want the truth to come out without the bias,” Card said. “I don’t think the facts will be that compelling that he will be removed.” He thinks the president will be impeached in the House but acquitted in the Senate.
“Let the winds blow where they may in Congress,” said Card, who also held senior government roles under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.
Last week, former President Bill Clinton, who was impeached by the House and acquitted in the Senate in the late 1990s, gave Trump similar advice.
“Look, you got hired to do a job,” Clinton told CNN. “Every day’s an opportunity to make something good happen.”
Clinton also said, “I would say, ‘I’ve got lawyers and staff people handling this impeachment inquiry and they should just have at it. Meanwhile, I’m going to work for the American people.’ That’s what I would do.”
