Schiff wishes Mueller had testified in ‘more narrative fashion’

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff said on Sunday he wishes former special counsel Robert Mueller had testified in a "more narrative function, that the words didn't need to be coaxed from him as much as they did."

Still, the California Democrat said on NBC's "Meet the Press," Mueller became most passionate about the country "not rising to the challenge of protecting our elections and our democracy."

Schiff told host Chuck Todd that while he thinks Mueller's testimony Wednesday before the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees animated the contents of his report, "it came alive, I think, more through very short questions and very short answers rather than a great deal of description from the witness."

"Nonetheless, most people have had that filtered by the misleading characterization by people like [Attorney General] Bill Barr," Schiff added. "So, it was very important to bring him in."

Schiff also said he believes the courts are a needed preliminary step to a potential impeachment and that "right now the most important thing is to obtain the grand jury material, to see the evidence."

The American people need to understand that the Mueller report "is not the evidence — it's a summary of the evidence," Schiff said. "I'd like to hear from the witnesses before we make a decision about charging the president."