Democrats split over impeaching Trump, but Republicans hold strong against it
WASHINGTON — Last Saturday, Rep. Justin Amash’s comments about impeaching Trump made waves as he became the first Republican to come out in favor of impeachment. Since then, more Democratic members of Congress have signaled their support for the beginning of an impeachment inquiry into Trump.
Such a demand is different than directly calling for impeachment, which 8 other Democrats already have done by signing on to Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s articles of impeachment. No other Republicans, though, have signaled support for impeachment.
On Tuesday morning, the Washington Post reported that some House Democrats believed that launching an impeachment inquiry would give them maximum legal leverage over the Trump administration during investigations. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, for her part, doesn't want any movement on impeachment unless the case for doing so is "overwhelming and bipartisan."
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Here’s what Democrats and Republicans Congress are saying about impeachment right now:
Democrats remain split on impeachment
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., who is the vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said that she supported the opening of an impeachment inquiry into Trump after former White House Counsel Don McGahn failed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee.
“No one is above the rule of law," she wrote in a statement. "The time has come to start an impeachment inquiry because the American people deserve to know the truth and to have the opportunity to judge the gravity of the evidence and charges leveled against the President.”
Rep. Joaquin Castro, the twin brother of presidential candidate Julian Castro, also said that it was time for an impeachment inquiry.
It’s time for Congress to open an impeachment inquiry. There is political risk in doing so, but there’s a greater risk to our country in doing nothing.
This is a fight for our democracy.— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) May 21, 2019
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, told the Washington Post that, "I think that overwhelming evidence has been presented to us in the Mueller report, and outside of it too, of high crimes and misdemeanors, and we should launch an impeachment inquiry. Remember, an inquiry doesn’t prejudge the outcome. We’re not talking about articles of impeachment.'
Republicans firmly oppose impeachment
Rep. Mark Meadows, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus, slammed calls for impeachment as a “single-minded goal” of “political revenge.”
The worst kept secret is: this was always the case for Democrats. Before, during, and after the Mueller report.
It never mattered that the evidence wasn't there. Their single-minded goal is political revenge on someone who beat them in an election they thought they had won. https://t.co/UnaTxYt0hx— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) May 21, 2019
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said that "there's not basis for it" in reference to impeachment.
The American people don't want impeachment. There's no basis for it!
But the Democrats are so angry that our President is succeeding and so desperate to please their base that they'll do it anyway.— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) May 21, 2019
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called Amash "out of step with this conference" and "out of step with America," while talking to reporters on Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democrats split over impeaching Trump, but Republicans hold strong against it