Fox guest likens possible impeachment of Trump to a “soft coup”

The Hill's Joe Concha: Democrats impeaching Trump “will be seen basically by half of the American people, Pete, as a limp attempt at a soft coup at removing a president”

From the April 23 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

Video file

PETE HEGSETH (GUEST CO-HOST): Did those 2020 Democrats miss the memo from the Democratic leaders who are downplaying impeachment talks, those in the House? Here to react, media reporter for The Hill and radio talk show host Joe Concha. Joe, there's a conflict inside the Democrats. You've got House Dems, you've got running for president. Where are they taking this? 

JOE CONCHA (THE HILL): Well, most are not calling for impeachment, Pete. Let's make that clear. Elizabeth Warren is because, I don't know if you played football, but this is what we call a Hail Mary. We're pretty early in the game but she's already throwing them because she has at this point -- if you look at the polling -- it's a rudderless campaign. She doesn't seem to get any traction. 

Nancy Pelosi was in Washington when we saw this movie before, Pete. It was during, obviously, the Clinton impeachment proceedings. And Republicans cited obstruction of justice as one of the reasons why they wanted the president at that time removed. The problem was that everybody knew it was all for show because there was no way that at that time lawmakers were able to get two-thirds of the Senate to remove that president. So look, here's what happened, bottom line: The day after Clinton is impeached, his approval rating in Gallup was at 73%. That was the highest we've seen in quite some time. And then, when he leaves office, it's at 65%. That's the highest since Truman. Clinton was seen as a sympathetic figure and it led to the launching of another political career in Hillary Clinton because she was seen as a sympathetic figure. 

So Nancy Pelosi has seen this. She knows the ramifications for the party that tries to carry it out. And it will be seen basically by half of the American people, Pete, as a limp attempt at a soft coup at removing a president that they know they don't have the votes for in the Senate. It will all be for show anyway. People want lawmakers, Democrats who took the House in November, to solve problems, not go down this road. There is no appetite for it, Pete.

HEGSETH: Yeah, we'll see if they can figure that out. It's a big question.

Previously:

Trump keeps channeling Fox’s “coup” nonsense. This could end badly.

Fox's Pete Hegseth: Mueller has “been the special impeachment counsel from the beginning”

Rush Limbaugh revives conspiracy theory that Mueller investigation is “a silent coup” to get rid of Trump