Mere minutes ago, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump in the wake of his reported interest in the business dealings of former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, in Ukraine. The announcement resulted from a spike in the number of House Dumbocrats arguing for impreachment. More than two-thirds of them said yesterday that they support impeachment, after the President confirmed that, during a congratulatory telephone call in July, he suggested to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Hunter Biden be investigated for possible breaches of both Ukrainian and American laws.
The Dems accused Mr Trump of holding over Mr Zelensky's head the threat of withholding tens of millions of dollars in military aid, if he did not order the suggested investigation. Earlier today Mr Trump said he did indeed order the withholding of aid... a week before he telephoned the new Ukrainian leader. And, he added, the aid money has now been paid as promised.
While still at the United Nations, President Trump tweeted, "I am currently at the United Nations representing our country, but have authorized the release tomorrow of the complete, fully declassified and unredacted transcript of my phone conversation with President Zelensky of Ukraine. You will see it was a very friendly and totally appropriate call. No pressure and, unlike Joe Biden and his son, NO quid pro quo! This is nothing more than a continuation of the Greatest and most Destructive Witch Hunt of all time!"
Walt notes that what Ms Pelosi announced today is her party's intention to move for an inquiry. I am not all that familiar with American Constitutional Law, but understand that there are several steps between the launch of an inquiry and the putting to the House of a formal motion to impeach. And even if that passes, it would then have to go to the Senate, where the Republican majority would defeat it.
It looks to me as if today's announcement is nothing more than a sop to the Squad and the other radicals and never-Trumper's who have been baying for the President's head since the morning after the election. It is now less than 14 months until the 2020 election. I predict that the effluxion of time will prevent anything coming of these very preliminary impeachment proceedings before the end of the Congressional term. (Lifetime pct .989.) Then it will be up to the American people to judge. Selah.
UPDATE ADDED 25/9/19 at 0600: According to WaPo (always a cheerleader for anything anti-Trump), a Qunnipiac University poll released this morning shows 37% of voters in favour of impeaching Still-President Trump and removing him from office, while 57% say he should not be impeached. Food for thought for the Dumbocrats?
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