Would the Republican-controlled Senate really consider a House decision to impeach President Trump?
While as recent as one week ago such a suggestion appeared laughable, there’s now an indication that the GOP might very well consider holding an impeachment trial if the Democratic-controlled House ultimately votes to impeach the president.
“The yearning for impeachment and removing Trump from office has risen significantly among moderate and liberal potential Republicans — i.e. Republicans and Republican leaning independents,” Harry Enten wrote in an analysis for CNN. “Nearly a third of moderate/liberal potential Republicans in CNN’s latest poll said they wanted Trump impeached and removed last week, while about two-thirds didn’t want that.”
Back in late May, the split was 16 percent for impeachment and removal and 81 percent against it, which statistically is significant movement, he said.
When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi first declared that Congress would open an impeachment query, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated that he wouldn’t allow a trial in the senate if such a resolution passed in the House.
As majority leader, McConnell has demonstrated the power to quell any actions by Democrats. Prior to President Barack Obama leaving office, McConnell refused to allow the Senate to take a vote on an Obama Supreme Court justice pick.
Most recently, however, McConnell has indicated he would allow for the convening of an impeachment trial if the House moves forward and impeaches Trump.
Former GOP Rep. Joe Walsh, who is challenging Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, labeled the president a “traitor” for imploring China and Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden.
“The president should be impeached for asking other countries to interfere in our election,” Walsh told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “There’s enough we know now to vote to impeach this president. He stood on the White House lawn this week, and told two additional foreign governments to interfere in our election. That alone is impeachable.
“This is a strong term I’m going to use, but I’m going to say it on purpose: Donald Trump is a traitor,” Walsh said.
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney drew Trump’s ire over Romney’s criticism of the president regarding his call for Ukraine and China to investigate Biden.
Although senators and members of Congress cannot be impeached based on the Constitution, Trump tweeted that Romney “should be impeached.”
House Democrats subpoenaed the White House on Friday, Oct. 4, as part of the impeachment investigation, CNN reported.
The White House said the “subpoena changes nothing — just more document requests, wasted time, and taxpayer dollars that will ultimately show the president did nothing wrong.”
However, Democrats have lambasted the president and they appear to be moving ahead with a full-on impeachment investigation.
“I’m beyond pleased that a strong majority of my Democratic colleagues have joined us in the effort to hold accountable and impeach the most unlawful and unpatriotic man to ever occupy the White House,” said California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, an ardent Trump detractor. “As I have stated time and time again, Donald Trump is a dangerous and dishonorable man. He has no respect for our democracy, our Constitution, or the rule of law. It is past time that Congress fulfills its Constitutional duty to impeach him. I am elated that it appears that day is upon us.”
