White House officials are not denying the new report from BuzzFeed News that claims President Donald Trump instructed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress on his behalf. And now, Fox News host Chris Wallace is admitting that if the story is true, it could well lead to the president’s impeachment.
Speaking to Fox host Sandra Smith ahead of this weekend’s Fox News Sunday, Wallace said he doesn’t have the “slightest clue” whether the report is accurate or not and would take it with a “giant block of salt.”
But on the other hand, he added, “If it’s true, it’s very disturbing.” He explained that “subornation of perjury” or “inducing someone to commit perjury,” which is what Cohen has asserted Trump did, “is a crime and it’s the kind of thing that could get you impeached.”
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(Update: After this story posted, Special Counsel Robert Mueller issued a statement that said “BuzzFeed's description of specific statements to the Special Counsel's Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen's Congressional testimony are not accurate.” BuzzFeed said it is “continuing to report and determine what the special counsel is disputing. We remain confident in the accuracy of our report.”)
“If it’s true, with a giant I.F., it’s a big deal,” Wallace concluded. “If it’s not true, it’s a big deal because it’s going to make the press look really stupid.”
Hours later, Wallace reiterated his point during an appearance with Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. “Subornation of perjury. If true, it's hard to see how things would continue as they are,” Smith said, to which Wallace replied, “I completely agree with that. Subornation of perjury—as I said earlier today—is the kind of thing you get impeached over.”
So far, President Trump himself has not denied that he told Cohen to lie to Congress about his Trump Tower deal. Only his lawyer Rudy Giuliani has issued a straightforward denial, saying in a statement on Friday, “Any suggestion–from any source–that the President counseled Michael Cohen to lie is categorically false.”
