Democratic presidential candidate and Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton redoubled his support Tuesday for beginning impeachment proceedings into President Donald Trump, saying that was the right course of action despite the potential political ramifications.

In an interview with PBS NewsHour managing editor and anchor Judy Woodruff, Moulton said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s concerns about starting an impeachment inquiry were valid. But Moulton said he believes the situation rises above making political calculations.

“Maybe the politics make this tricky and I understand that. I accept that that might be the case,” he said. “But how about just doing the right thing on principle on the oath that we swore, not to protect our political party but to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States?”

Moulton is one of several 2020 Democrats who have called for an impeachment investigation. House Democrats are divided on the issue, and are continuing to investigate the president while weighing next steps.

Asked how Democrats should respond to Trump’s name-calling — on Tuesday, the president called former Vice President Joe Biden a “dummy” — Moulton said it’s more important to focus on how Trump has “failed as commander in chief” and to “talk about how we are going to lead.”

Other highlights from the interview