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“The big difference is ... they still don’t have what you would have the goods on this president in terms of breaking the law and being an impeachable target for them," Brokaw told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday afternoon. “The big difference is ... they still don’t have what you would have the goods on this president in terms of breaking the law and being an impeachable target for them," Brokaw told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday afternoon.

"They’re going to start the process but they don’t have the same kind of clarity that the people who were opposed to Richard Nixon had because it was so clear that these were criminal acts he was involved in."

Mitchell underscored Brokaw's comments, mentioning that despite Nixon's achievements in foreign policy and relations, the evidence against the Republican president was damning.



"The smoking gun tape, the Oval Office tapes, that kind of hard evidence of criminality to bring down a president who was successful in the Middle East, who was successful with the breakthrough to China, Vietnam is a whole other issue," Mitchell noted.



"And don’t forget about the first Russian SALT talks, you know, ones he opened up and got them going," Brokaw said before later adding, "There are no more taping systems in the Oval Office."

“That we know of," Mitchell replied.



“That we know of," Brokaw echoed.





House Democrats announced Tuesday the next phase of their impeachment inquiry which will bring hearings public after weeks of closed-door witness testimony that has prompted Republicans to demand more transparency in recent days.



The next phase also allows Republicans to request witness testimony and documents, which mirrors previous impeachment inquiries, while Democrats on the Intelligence Committee will have the ability to block the requests.



The resolution is expected to be voted on in the House on Thursday.