Washington: House Democrats moved aggressively to draw up formal articles of impea-chment against President Donald Trump on Friday, with Speaker Nancy Pelo-si saying he “leaves us no choice” but to act swiftly because he’s likely to corrupt the system again unless removed before next year’s election.
A strictly partisan effort at this point, derided immediately by Trump and other leading Republicans as a sham and a hoax, it is a politically risky undertaking. Democrats say it is their duty, in the aftermath of the Ukraine probe, while Republicans say it will drive Pelosi’s majority from office.
Congress must act, Pelosi said. “The democracy is what is at stake.”
“The president’s actions have seriously violated the Constitution,” she said in a somber address at the Capitol. “He is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit. The president has engaged in abuse of power, undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections.”
“Sadly, but with confidence and humility, with allegiance to our founders and a heart full of love for America, today I am asking our chairmen to proceed with articles of impeachment,” Pelosi sa-id.
A defiant President Donald Trump predicted he “will win,” after the Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives gave the greenlight for impeachment.
“The good thing is that the Republicans have NEVER been more united. We will win!” Trump tweeted. The White House is now publicly embracing a strategy it has privately signaled for weeks: It will accept the reality that President Donald Trump will likely be impeached by the House and focus instead on a made-for-TV trial on friendlier turf in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Democrats, Trump tweeted Thursday, “have gone crazy. Therefore I say, if you are going to impeach me, do it now, fast, so we can have a fair.... trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business.”It was a message that came even before Pelosi’s announcement.
