There are many Democrats who want to see President Trump impeached and removed from office. This has been a left-wing fantasy for years now, especially since Democrats vowed to “resist” Trump following his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton. Throughout the infamous Mueller probe and even afterward, Democrats continued to call for the president’s impeachment; multiple congressional Democrats have attempted to file impeachment proceedings against Trump, but they’ve failed each time.
Now, Democrats are trying to give impeachment another go, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn’t having it. On Friday, Pelosi dismissed the idea during a call with Democrat caucus members, according to Breitbart News. The House Speaker’s failure to get behind the impeachment of President Trump has particularly irritated the progressive wing of the Democrat Party.
Why Isn’t Pelosi Supportive of Impeachment?
Pelosi has sparred with President Trump on multiple occasions and publicly censured him; however, whenever conversations turn to impeachment, the House Speaker doesn’t seem to support it.
During Pelosi’s call with Democrat caucus members, she stated that the American public is not behind the idea of impeaching the president. It’s also worth noting that Pelosi has previously cited impeachment as a measure which would be too divisive for the country.
The House Speaker’s statements on the matter read as follows:
“The public isn’t there on impeachment. It’s your voice and constituency, but give me the leverage I need to make sure that we’re ready and it is as strong as it can be. The equities we have to weigh are our responsibility to protect and defend the Constitution and to be unifying and not dividing…but if and when we act, people will know he gave us no choice. If he cannot respect the Constitution, we’ll have to deal with that. It’s about patriotism, not partisanship.”
Finally, Pelosi added that she has a “night guard” and struggles not to “grind [her] teeth all night” when thinking about events taking place in the White House.
A Thursday poll from the Monmouth University Polling Institute confirms that 59% of Americans disagree with the notion of impeaching President Trump.
What Missing “Leverage” Really Means
Pelosi’s refusal to move to impeach Trump, despite the growing calls from her party, may simply boil down to the fact that the president has not committed any impeachable offenses. This would explain why Pelosi stated that she needs “leverage” (or proof) in order to truly begin the process of impeachment.
Another likely factor is the House Speaker’s awareness that any impeachment proceedings would be killed in the Republican-controlled Senate. Pelosi might not openly state this, but she has to know that Trump isn’t going to be impeached. There’s no real merit to impeach the president; if there were, Pelosi wouldn’t be asking Democrats for “leverage.”
Do you think Nancy Pelosi will ever shift gears on impeachment? Sound off with your predictions in the comments section down below!
