Bill Nelson on Donald Trump investigation: ‘Just the facts, ma’am’

In Jacksonville Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson addressed problems in the Presidency, including shakeups in the Donald Trump Administration related to Russia, and President Trump’s just concluded trip to the Middle East and Europe.

Nelson stopped short of recommending impeachment proceedings against President Trump, but is – unsurprisingly – keenly interested in where the investigation leads.

And demonstrating that interest, Sen. Nelson invoked an iconic television character.

“There was a detective/sergeant named Joe Friday on a very popular television series, and he always said ‘just the facts, ma’am’,” Nelson said.

“That’s why we have an investigation going on now on the collusion between the Trump Campaign and the Russian government, Russian intelligence. And so I’m going to hold in abeyance any conclusions until I know what the facts are,” Nelson added.

“Just let the investigation occur, by the former head of the FBI, Robert Mueller and we can judge from there who all’s caught up in this.”

Nelson also evaluated President Trump’s foreign trip, which the President described over the weekend as a “home run.”

There apparently are different ground rules in Nelson’s home park.

“He did pretty good in his first two stops, in the Middle East. Then in Europe, he certainly made all of our allies in NATO nervous when he did not stand up for Article V of the NATO treaty, which says if one is attacked, all of the others will come to their defense,” Nelson said.

When asked if he’d ever seen anything like this before from an American President, Nelson noted that he’s “actually to the point of never being surprised” by the Trump Administration.

Nelson, expected to face a challenge from Gov. Rick Scott in 2018, no doubt will have more opportunities to hold forth on what are at least glaring perception problems with the Trump Presidency.