(CNN) – Business mogul Donald Trump told CNN Wednesday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should have sought to impeach President Bush when she had the chance.
In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Trump said the president and his administration deliberately lied about the Iraq war, and congressional Democrats missed an opportunity to impeach him when the party took control of Congress in 2006.
Watch the full interview on The Situation Room at 4 and 6 p.m. ET.
"I was surprised that she didn't do more in terms of Bush and going after Bush," Trump said. "It was almost - it just seemed like she was going to really look to impeach Bush and get him out of office, which personally I think would have been a wonderful thing."
Pressed why he feels Bush deserved the punishment faced by only two other commanders-in-chief, Trump said the president misled the country in the run-up to the Iraq war, and that his actions were considerably more objectionable than those which led to the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton.
"He lied. He got us into the war with lies," Trump said. And I mean - look at the trouble Bill Clinton got into with something that was totally unimportant. And they tried to impeach him, which was nonsense. And yet Bush got us into this horrible war with lies, by lying, by saying they had weapons of mass destruction, by saying all sorts of things that turned out not to be true."
In the wide-ranging interview set to air on CNN's The Situation Room at 4 and 6 p.m. Wednesday, Trump also praised John McCain and said the Arizona senator still has a chance to win the White House despite recent polls showing he is substantially trailing Barack Obama.
Watch: I'd hire McCain, says Trump
"He's a very smart guy, he's a tough guy," he said. "I think he'd be a great president. But, he has to be John McCain and he could still probably pull it out. But, it's going to be tough."
Trump also advised the Republican presidential nominee to stay positive at Wednesday's final presidential debate and communicate clear plans to fix the nation's financial crisis.
"He has to come up with plans and not political plans, real plans. And they have to be very, very economy-based," Trump said. " I think the economy seems to be weighing down everything."
Trump praised Republican VP Sarah Palin, whom he first met Tuesday night at a New York fundraiser, and said he would trust her to run the economy.
"I can only go by the people of Alaska," she said. "She's got the highest rating in the whole Unites States, as being the most popular governor."
From CNN Politics
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He's one to talk. Let's see if he'll also turn socialist and give away all his wealth to Obamanation should it come to that ...
Trump,Trump ,your money is going to your head and you no longer can think clearly. We would have Cheney as Pres. and his heart is going out on him. So, who would we have next.?
C'mon Donald. You're smarter than saying that you would trust Sarah Palin to run the economy. Might there be some other interest that you have in her? Um.
Impeach Bush – yes
Palin to run anything – no
1 for 1 Donny
How is impeaching Palin on abuse of power and violation of ethics law any different from impeaching Bush on all HIS abuses and lies? Trump is – once again – blinded by legs.
Hey Donald, I suggest you recheck those rating statistics. Why is this woman allowed to go out and stir up hatred? She tells Rush yesterday she is going to keep up the attacks, she has nothing left to lose. Why are you doing this to our country, Sarah? John McCain has not a shred of decency left.
Republicans just dont get it
Finally the man says something intelligent.
Trump is for John McCain! Follow his lead people!
yeh but he sure does love the Bush tax cuts
He is the only person in America who believes the pitbull could run the country.
His wife better look out, the Donald loves to chase skirts.
Well, I did send a letter to her asking her to impeach Bush because he started a war based on lies, and the damage is substantial compared to what Clinton done. However, she is against it. In that regard, I was disappointed by her position. We have to make examples so that future presidents don't start wars based on lies and get away w/ it.
Hell ya !!! There's still time to impeach him !!! Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld belong in jail !!!!
And now he supports John McCain who wants to continue Bush's neo-con policies?
This guy once said that we should declare victory and pull all of our troops out of Iraq. He now supports John McCain who wants to leave our troops there as long as he possibly can.
Trump is obviously confused.
If Trump had any brains he should realize the Pelosi congress has done nothing while its held the majority, except create more problems. McCain may be the leader America needs at this time, although I doubt he'll be able to accomplish much because of the problems he'd be tasked with. Obama is nothing more than a Pied Piper being followed by a bunch of star-struck airheads. He's no different than the other democrats who tried to sweet talk the people in the past two presidential elections. At least Gore has tried to do something constructive, Kerry hasn't done anything since.
Don't forget about war crimes. Bush and his cronies (McCain included) need to get tried for war crimes. War mongering fools – liars!
Trump, You're FIRED!
Palin, You're FIRED!
Cheney, You're FIRED!
McCain, You're FIRED!
Bush, You're FIRED!
America is going to fire all of you.
I certainly think Bush/Cheney deserved impeachment and probably to be brought up on war crimes but Congress failed to act in any meaningful way. At any rate, it's all water under the bridge now. Bush/Cheney will be gone in January so might as well build a bridge and get over it. Move forward in a direction that brings back America's standing in the world, provide more focus to the backbone of America, and otherwise leave the Bush/Cheney years behind. Obama – Hope, Unity, Progressive Change.
And the Donald is someone we should listen to? Aside from going bankrupt multiple times and having a really stupid looking comb over, what are his legal qualifications to determine that Bush should have been impeached? Can Nancy Pelosi even spell that word?
By the way all you Gov. Palin haters – do you realize that she already has a higher level security clearance than does either Barack Ayers or Joe Windbag?
Deal with it.
and to the previous article – Jesse Jackson is just a race baiting, bigotted, extortionist. shame on him for his remarks and shame on any media forum that gave him the time of day for this speech.
OK, he wanted Bush impreached but is supporting McCain who has the same policies. I'm confused.
I think the Donald must be losing it. He needs to look at politifact.com. McBush and his dingbat have said so many "pants on fire" lies about Barack it isn't funny. Mr. Trump was concerned over bush lies?!! I think McBush is someone that could never be trusted and the same goes for his dingbat sidekick. They still tell the same lies even after they are exposes as lies. They are the lowest of the low.
And as far as McBush's dingbat goes – I'm sure if she were on the apprentice she would have been the first one fired (unless you needed to keep someone on the show to be the "sideshow" act for ratings – what stupid thing will she say next?).
Obama/Biden !!
If Trump wants Bush impeached and yet feels Palin is qualified to run the country, he's clearly trying to "score" with her, like most other men who are polled on their feelings about Gov. Palin
Bush is NOT McCain...........
Obama does not have the experience like MCCain does........period
Correction. I sent a letter asking her to impeach both Bush and Cheney, because Cheney is in it as well.
From the Donald's lips to God's ears.