Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Explained Thursday why she thought President Donald Trump wanted the Democrats to remove him.
Pelosi admitted to late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel that Trump "knew it was not a good idea to be fired."
But, she noted:
"The lining is for him is, so he believes that he would be exonerated by the [Republican-controlled] United States Senate. And there is a school of thought that says, "If the Senate acquits you, why bring charges against him in the private sector when he is no longer president?" So when we look at our case, it must be irreproachable. "
Pelosi has so far refused to initiate an impeachment proceeding against Trump, despite increasing calls from his own party to do so.
Kimmel pressured her several times during their interview.
At one point, he asked if Democrats would be "ready before the year 2020?"
"Yes, we will," replied Pelosi.
Kimmel noted how special advocate Robert Mueller had said at his Wednesday press conference that "if we trusted that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. " Mueller also seemed to indicate that the ball was now in Congress "court.
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Nancy Pelosi through the years
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WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 8: A photo of the file dated May 8, 1996 shows US Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi at a press conference at Capitol Hill, Washington. Democratic House Leader Dick Gephardt (R, D-MO) is expected to announce on November 7, 2002 that he will not stand after a term of office of Republican opponents in the presidential elections of the House of Representatives and the Senate, November 5th. One of the two Democrats competing for the job is the minority whip Nancy Pelosi; the other is the chair of Democratic caucus Martin Frost (D, TX). (Photo credit should read J. DAVID AKE / AFP / Getty Images)
Washington, DC – May 20: US President Bill Clinton signs amendments to Ryan White's 1996 AIDS Emergency Relief Bill, 1996, May 20 at Washington White House DC. Jeanne White, Ryan's mother, is helping White House's Patsy Fleming, Senator Bill Frist (R-TN), representing Henry Waxman (D-CA), Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) stand behind Clinton. (The photo credit should match CHUCK KENNEDY / AFP / Getty Images)
UNITED STATES – JUNE 25: CREDITS IN THE HOUSE: Nancy Pelosi, Member of the Rankings, Member of the D-Calif., During the House Credits, Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Credit of 98 credits for operations at the 39; abroad. (Photo by Douglas Graham / Congressional Quarterly / Getty Images)
SLUG: NA / BAILOUT DATE: 09/26/08 WASHINGTON, DC CREDIT: DOMINIC BRACCO II From left to right, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Chair of the Financial Services Committee the House, Barney Frank (D-MA), speak during a press. Conference on Legislation for Rescuing the Financial Crisis at Capitol Hill on September 26, 2008. (Photo by Dominic Bracco II / The Washington Post / Getty Images)
Washington, USA: Nancy Pelosi (right) and Dick Cheney (left), Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, and Vice President Dick Cheney (left) congratulate US President George W. Bush for delivering the speech of the State of the Union at a joint meeting of Congress Washington, 23 January 2007. Photo AFP / Larry Downing / Pool (mention photo credit for LARRY DOWNING / AFP / Getty Images)
UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 10: WHIP RACE – Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Left, winner of the Democratic Whip race, talks with reporters and celebrates with sympathetic members after Democratic Caucus Elected to replace outgoing Whip David E. Bonior, D-Mich., Governor of Michigan Candidate. (Photo by Scott J. Ferrell / Congressional Quarterly / Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, New-born Democratic minority leader Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA, L), raises the hand of incumbent leader Dick Gephardt (D-MO) on November 14, 2002 at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The election of Pelosi marks the first time in the history of the US Congress that a woman will lead her party. PICTURE BY AFP MIKE THEILER (Photo credit must match MIKE THEILER / AFP / Getty Images)
USA – JULY 26: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Leader of the House of Representatives Minority, speaks at the California Delegate's Breakfast in Boston, Massachusetts on the first day of the Democratic National Convention , July 26, 2004. (Photo by Chris Kleponis / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
UNITED STATES – FEBRUARY 02: SPEECH FROM THE STATE OF THE UNION – The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, of D-Calif., And the 2004 presidential candidate, Senator John Kerry, of D-Mass., S & D, prior to the speech on the state of President George W. Bush's Union. at a joint session of Congress. (Photo by Scott J. Ferrell / Congressional Quarterly / Getty Images)
MP John Lewis, MP Maxine Waters, Harry Belafonte, Jessie Jackson and MP Nancy Pelosi (Photo by Moses Robinson / WireImage)
WASHINGTON – JUNE 4: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, speaks at the Israeli Political Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference held at the Washington Convention Center on April 4 June 2008 in Washington, DC. Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-IL), US presidential candidates, are scheduled to speak at the same event. (Photo by Alex Wong / Getty Images)
WASHINGTON – MAY 22: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Speaker of the House of Representatives, holds her weekly press conference at the US Capitol on May 22, 2009 in Washington, DC. Pelosi made the press conference an opportunity to list what his leadership and leaders of the Democratic House considered the success of the first session of the 111th Congress. She asked some questions about her upcoming trip to China and her statements about the CIA. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
USA – JULY 23: Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the California House of Democratic Representatives, and Nuri al-Maliki, Iraqi Prime Minister, shake hands while addressing the media ahead of a meeting at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC DC, Thursday, July 23, 2009. Maliki is committed to repairing sectarian divisions and fighting corruption, while urging the international community to continue to support his country. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – Jan. 5: The Speaker of the House, John A. Boehner of Ohio, accepts the hammer of outgoing President Nancy Pelosi of California as the 112th Congress meets on Capitol Hill. United States. (Photo by Scott J. Ferrell / Congressional Quarterly / Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 23: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), leader of the minority in the House of Representatives, works with staff before the vote in the House on a busy day at Capitol Hill, Washington DC, Thursday, June 23, 2011. (Photo by Melina Mara / The Washington Post via Getty Images)
UNITED STATES – DECEMBER 1: House of Representatives minority leader Nancy Pelosi holds her weekly press conference in private on Capitol Hill on Thursday, December 1, 2011. (Photo by Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – APRIL 22: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (left) and Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi attend the dinner of William O. Douglas, Public Counsel, held in 2012 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on the 22nd. April 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo Imeh Akpanudosen / Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC – SEPTEMBER 05: Sen. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), leader of the parliamentary minority, waved as she climbed onto the stage on the second day of the Democratic National Convention held at the Time Warner Cable Arena on September 5, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The DNC, which runs until September 7, will appoint US President Barack Obama as a candidate for the Democratic presidency. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 14: Representative of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Addresses Media as Democratic Women in House Gather at Conference press during the press conference held in the United States on November 14, 2012 in Washington, DC. Leader Pelosi said she decided to continue leading the House of Democrats and did not want to retire for the moment. (Photo by Mark Wilson / Getty Images)
Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat (center, center), depicts a photo of Democratic Housewives on the steps of the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC, United States, on Wednesday, January 7, 2015. 65 Women Democrats in the House are part of the 114th Congress, the largest number of women in a party caucus in the history of the United States Congress. Photographer: Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 07: (LR) Former US Vice President Al Gore, Apple's senior vice president of software and Internet services, Eddy Cue, Apple CEO Tim Cook, music producer Jimmy Iovine and Minority leader at the US House Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, attend the pre-GRAMMY gala and tribute to industry icons paying tribute to Martin Bandier at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 7 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen / WireImage)
UNITED STATES – JULY 15: Vice President Joe Biden and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi leave a meeting with House Democrats at the Capitol Visitor Center where Biden informed members of the House of Commons 39th Nuclear Agreement with Iran, 15 July 2015. (Photo by Tom Williams / Roll call)
USA – JULY 14: House minority leader Nancy Pelosi of California presents presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton to the press about the Iran nuclear deal as a result of his meeting with the Democrats of the House at the weekly meeting of their caucus at the US Capitol July 14, 2015. (Photo By Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call)
WASHINGTON, DC – Nancy Pelosi, Leader of a Democrat Minority in Parliament, is working with her office staff during the busy Legislature Day on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. (Photo by Melina Mara / The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (left) accompanies minority leader to the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi after attending a meeting with the House Democratic Caucus on June 22, 2016 at the US Capitol United in Washington, DC. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit must match MANDEL NGAN / AFP / Getty Images)
UNITED STATES – JULY 28: Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday, July 28, 2016. (Photo by Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 14: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Speaker of the House of Representatives, speaks with Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) at a commemorative ceremony in Ottawa. honor of the late Rep. Mark Takai (D-HI), 49, died of pancreatic cancer last July at the United States Capitol on September 14, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson / Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 21: (LR) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI), House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) plant nails in a piece of wood during the "Nail First" ceremony On September 21, 2016 outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC. The ceremony marked the official launch of construction work on the inaugural platform where the next US President will be sworn in on Friday, January 20, 2017. (Photo by Win McNamee / Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 22: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) answers questions during her weekly press conference at the US Capitol on September 22, 2016 in Washington, DC. Pelosi answered questions on a range of topics, including congressional negotiations on a new resolution underway. (Photo by Win McNamee / Getty Images)
US Vice President-elect Mike Pence, right, shakes hands with California Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi at the end of a meeting in Washington, DC, United States. Thursday, November 17, 2016. During their in camera meeting, Pelosi is deeply concerned with Trump's decision to appoint former Breitbart News Chief Steve Bannon as Chief Strategist of the White House, and asks him to reconsider his appointment. Photographer: Chip Somodevilla / Pool via Bloomberg
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Pelosi said: "We have taken this route" to get information "for a while" and "when we get to where we are going, we will be ready."
"Our Founders, in the darkest days of the Revolution, they said:" The times have found us, "she added. "Well, I think time has found us. We have challenged the United States Constitution and, when we take this path, we must be ready and the American people must be clear, and we must hope that it will be clear to us. Republicans in the United States Senate. "
"The public deserves to know the truth, the facts," she added.
Pelosi said that she had "a better idea of what the president should be responsible for than anyone else."
"He knows, he knows what his violations were," she said.
Kimmel was not in agreement, suggesting that Trump Circle members sometimes realize in retrospect that something is not allowed and "go back and try to understand what it was like." and how they can keep him silent. "
"Do you know what really bothers me about it?" Pelosi asked. "I say, how do you explain that to the children in the neighborhood when the police forces are addressing them and they say to themselves," Well, I did not know that I was supposed to do this or that. They were supposed to know, but these very rich people with very expensive lawyers can get away with saying, "I did not know it was wrong to do it."
Check out the interview below:
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
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