Jimmy Carter: Talking about impeaching Donald Trump is 'wrong thing' for Democrats to do

Erin Kelly | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that talking about impeaching President Donald Trump is "the wrong thing for Democrats to do."

"I don't talk about impeachment," the Georgia Democrat told anchor Neil Cavuto in an interview on the Fox Business Network. "I think that's the wrong thing for Democrats to do."

Carter was elected president after the Watergate scandal forced former President Richard Nixon to resign rather than face impeachment.

Carter made his comments in response to a question from Cavuto about Democrats "salivating" at their prospects of winning control of the House from Republicans in November. The Fox anchor said that "many" Democrats are talking about impeaching Trump if they gain the majority.

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In reality, most Democrats have shied away from the controversial subject this election year while special counsel Robert Mueller continues his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

Republicans, however, have been warning voters that Democrats will try to impeach Trump if Democrats wins the majority in the House. But, even if the House were to impeach Trump, he would have to be tried in the Senate. Few analysts believe that Democrats will win control of the Senate this year.

Cavuto also asked Carter about Trump's claims that the stock market would collapse if Democrats impeached him. Carter expressed skepticism about Trump's assertion.

"You know, I think the president has much less influence over the economy than is certainly publicized by the president himself," Carter said. "But whenever the economy goes up, the president always wants to take credit for it. Whenever the economy goes down, the president wants to avoid responsibility. And I think it’s been that way in our country ever since we started."

Additionally, Carter criticized Trump for his reaction to the death of Sen. John McCain, who died Saturday of brain cancer.

The White House stirred controversy after it lowered its flags to half-staff for only two days after the Arizona Republican's death. Pressure from veterans' groups convinced them to lower them again on Monday afternoon. Trump was also criticized strongly by veterans groups for not putting out a proclamation honoring McCain until late Monday.

"I thought that President Trump made a mistake at first by not recognizing John McCain’s unquestioned commitment to our country in the Navy and as a prisoner of war and also in his service in Congress," said Carter, who, like McCain, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

"And I think both his (Trump's) critics and also his supporters made it plain to him that he had made a mistake when the flag was up and down and so forth," Carter said. "But I think that his last statement that I read yesterday has basically corrected that and now the flag will be lowered in honor of John McCain’s service to our country until the appropriate time. So, I think the early mistakes that had been made have been adequately corrected."

The White House has said that its flags will remain at half-staff until after McCain is buried at the Naval Academy's cemetery on Sunday.

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