An impeachment showdown has erupted between the White House and the Democratically-controlled Congress. In short, Donald Trump has flatly refused to cooperate with any impeachment inquiry.
Politics
Trump wants the full House of Representatives to first hold a vote and approve an impeachment inquiry before it is allowed to continue — a ploy he hopes to use to his advantage in order to stall the process and drag it out for several months. However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made it clear that she does not need to poll the full House for permission to conduct a probe. Passing a formal impeachment inquiry resolution is a complicated and time-consuming endeavor that is rife with political downsides. Additionally, Pelosi recognizes Trump’s request as a stall tactic and “Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That!”
And so, the impeachment showdown took an interesting turn on Tuesday.
As part of their latest strategic move to obstruct and save Trump’s butt, The White House sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi claiming that without a vote, Trump’s rights to due process have been circumvented and that he is left with no other choice but to not cooperate (as if he ever really intended to cooperate). The letter also doubled-down on an impeachment showdown by making clear that the administration will continue to reject requests from Democrats if the proceedings continue in their current form.
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In what he considers his own “great and unmatched wisdom,” Donald Trump has instigated an impeachment showdown by thumbing his nose at the powers of the legislative branch of government while using the presidency to protect himself and his cronies in the process.
That was never more evident than when Trump flatly refused to allow US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland to speak to Congress mere moments before his scheduled testimony on Tuesday.
Trump knows that Congress could issue a subpoena to force the testimony, however, that could take months to enforce. Trump also knows that he could offer Sondland a presidential pardon if Congress attempts to hold him in contempt for following White House orders to refuse to testify.
“This letter is manifestly wrong, and is simply another unlawful attempt to hide the facts of the Trump Administration’s brazen efforts to pressure foreign powers to intervene in the 2020 elections,” Pelosi said. “Despite the White House’s stonewalling, we see a growing body of evidence that shows that President Trump abused his office and violated his oath to ‘protect, preserve and defend the Constitution.'”
Although Trump is erecting every roadblock imaginable in order to prevent formal Articles of Impeachment, Pelosi and company seem unfazed by his defensive tactics. Text messages between Sondland and former US Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor, as well as a memo written by the whistleblower detailing a White House official’s take on the July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “crazy” and “frightening” are squarely in Pelosi’s back pocket.
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Although Trump is erecting every roadblock imaginable in order to prevent formal Articles of Impeachment, Pelosi and company seem unfazed by his defensive tactics. […] – DJ
As I’ve expressed before, the only reason I have any confidence in the Dems at all to NOT screw this up is Nancy Pelosi. She’s the only one whose leadership I trust.
I would posit that Trump and his sycophants have met their match when it comes o her.
Of course, Time will tell if I am right.