More than half of Democrats support impeachment inquiry
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WASHINGTON — More than half of Democrats support launching an impeachment inquiry, according to a tally by The Associated Press — a strong signal of ongoing liberal frustration with President Donald Trump but a milestone that seems unlikely to move House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Rep. Salud Carbajal of California said Friday that he would support such an inquiry — the beginning of proceedings that could lead up to an impeachment vote — tipping the tally to 118, or a majority of the 235 House Democrats. But that comes as Pelosi has remained steadfast that she wants to finish investigations that are already underway before making a final decision. She has signalled since she became speaker in January that she is unwilling to move toward impeachment without a groundswell of public support.
Impeachment supporters had hoped that former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony last month would be the tipping point, and more than two dozen Democrats have called for a beginning to proceedings since then. But those calls were muddled by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler’s assertion that the committee is essentially already doing the work of impeachment, with or without a formal House vote.
“Too much has been made of the phrase impeachment inquiry,” Nadler said, noting the panel’s ongoing probes of the president and his associates.
