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Trump Says He’s No Nixon Because ‘He Left. I Don’t Leave.’

Trump, facing calls for impeachment from some Democrats, draws a contrast between himself and former President Richard Nixon.

Trump Says He’s No Nixon Because ‘He Left. I Don’t Leave.’
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks while hosting Team Penske, the 103rd Indianapolis 500 champions, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. (Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump, facing calls for impeachment from some Democrats, sought on Monday to draw a contrast between himself and former President Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974 before lawmakers could remove him from office.

“He left,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I don’t leave. Big difference. I don’t leave. We did nothing wrong except create the greatest economy in the history of our country. We did nothing wrong except rebuild our military like nobody’s ever seen before.”

Trump’s comments came the same day John Dean, the former White House counsel to Nixon, testified before the House Judiciary Committee and drew comparisons between the president and his former boss. Following the testimony, Trump said “John Dean’s been a loser for many years.”

Some Democrats are pushing for impeachment proceedings linked to former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and whether the president obstructed justice.

Mueller said he couldn’t reach a conclusion on whether there was obstruction and also said he found “insufficient evidence to charge a broader conspiracy” on election interference. Some Democrats have said it’s now their responsibility to determine whether Trump acted in a way that would provide grounds for impeachment. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said Mueller’s report on the matter exonerated him.

To contact the reporter on this story: Margaret Talev in Washington at mtalev@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Justin Blum, Joshua Gallu

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