Democratic Congresswoman Says Republicans Are Angry About Donald Trump's 'Abuses Of Power' But Won't Say So Publicly

Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum asserted that other Republicans have expressed their dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump - privately, at least.

Speaking on CNN's OutFront with Erin Burnett on Thursday, the congresswoman said that some GOP members have expressed anger at Trump's "abuses of power," but don't give the same viewpoints in public.

"Republicans are saying that the president's use of emergency powers is outrageous. They — you know, some of the things he's done in the budget with zeroing things out, what he's done with the border wall, and then saying you know, he can spend money however he chooses to," McCollum said. "The Congress, which — I'm on the Appropriations Committee, we have the power of the purse. They're outraged by some of these remarks, but I don't hear them say it publicly."

Burnett, referring to statements made by Special Counsel Robert Mueller during a press conference on Tuesday, said that following Mueller's comments a "few additional Democrats" had publicly said they felt impeachment of Trump was the way to go.

"But it hasn't been this sudden stampede, congresswoman. Let's just be fair," Burnett said. "Do you think there are more Democrats who support it but are afraid to come out publicly at this point?"

"Well, many of my colleagues are taking this break to read the Mueller report and of course look at it again," McCollum replied, later adding that Democrats are taking the idea of impeachment "very seriously."

"There's a broad diversity of opinion, and that's good. So when we come together and form unity it'll be a thoughtful one. Whereas many of my colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle, what they say in the elevator and then what I hear on shows such as yours are very different, you know, exact opposite. So we're having thoughtful discussions and we need to do that," she said.

Despite more Democrats calling for Congress to being impeachment hearings, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi again held back on taking the step, telling a group in California, "You don't bring an impeachment unless you have all the facts," during an event on Wednesday.

"We won't be swayed by a few people who think one way or another who are running for president, as much as I respect all of them, and they have the freedom to be for impeachment," Pelosi said. "We have the responsibility to get a result for the American people and that's where we're going."

On Thursday morning, Trump railed against the notion of being removed from office, saying impeachment is a "dirty, filthy disgusting word."

The president also blasted Mueller, saying that he should never have been chosen to head the investigation.

"Robert Mueller should have never been chosen because he wanted the FBI job, and he didn't get it and the next day he was picked as special counsel," Trump said. "So you tell somebody 'I'm sorry, you can't have the job' and then after you say that, he's gonna make a ruling on you? I'm sorry, it doesn't work that way. Plus, we had a business dispute, plus his relationship with [former FBI Director James] Comey was extraordinary."

Trump went on to call Mueller a "never Trumper."

"He's somebody that dislikes Donald Trump, he's somebody that didn't get a job that he requested that he wanted very badly and then he was appointed. And despite that, and despite 40 million dollars, 18 Trump-haters, including people that worked for Hillary Clinton and some of the worst human beings on Earth, they got nothing. It's pretty amazing," he said.

In the same media briefing, Trump said the "courts" would never allow him to be impeached from office, despite the fact that the ability to impeach is not controlled by the courts but by Congress.

Burnett asked McCollum about her reaction to the president's assessment.

"As a social studies teacher, I think he needs to go back and retake civics because the House certainly has the ability to launch investigations and if they feel that they have enough evidence, impeachment," she said.