CNN host confronts Dem. Rep who already wants to discuss impeaching Trump

Donald Trump has been president for just two weeks, but already some congressional Democrats are mouthing the I-word: "Impeachment."

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said Monday during a Capitol Hill news conference focused on the Trump administration chipping away at former President Barack Obama's financial regulations on Wall Street that "eventually" Congress will have to "impeach" Trump, the Daily Caller reported.

But Waters was forced to defend those calls for impeachment later in the day Monday during a CNN interview. Specifically, Baldwin pressed Waters on why she was "going there" given that Trump has only been president for two weeks.

"What's the evidence that would lead to impeachment here?" anchor Brooke Baldwin asked.

Waters cited "investigations" going on in both the Senate and House, suggesting possible "collusion" between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Senate Armed Services Committee is currently conducting an investigation, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), into Russia's alleged interference in last year's presidential election, the Washington Post reported. The House Intelligence Committee is currently conducting a similar probe, according to Politico.

Separately, House Democrats have called for a investigation in the lower chamber to look into Trump's possible conflicts of interest related to his businesses. Shortly before taking office, Trump signed over control of his real estate empire to his two adult sons, Donald Trump, Jr. and Eric Trump.

Republicans have largely ignored Democrats' efforts to investigate how Trump's businesses might be influencing his decision making as president.

"I have every bit of confidence he's going to get himself right with moving himself from the business guy that he is to the president he's going to be," House Speaker Paul Ryan told CNBC in December, the Hill reported.

Despite Democrats' best efforts, there has been no tangible evidence produced thus far that suggests Trump or any of his administration officials actually violated the law. The constitution provides for impeachment only in the case of "high crimes and misdemeanors," which strongly suggests the need for evidence of an actual crime.

"You do have to find evidence before using such a huge word, such a tremendous word as the I-word, as impeachment," Baldwin reminded Waters.

Waters replied by suggesting that Baldwin doesn't ordinarily hear members of Congress talk about impeachment "because they would fear that perhaps they were not going to get the information that other people would think."

"Well, especially two weeks in, congresswoman," Baldwin interjected. "I mean, the man's been in the Oval Office two weeks."

"It doesn't matter how much time it is," Waters said, referring to Trump seemingly equating the U.S.'s moral standing with that of Russia during an interview that aired Sunday. "We have to find out more about him [Trump]. And some of that, I think, leads to the possibility of impeachment and I think that's legitimate to say, given everything we know at this point."