Bernie Sanders Says Trump ‘Must Be Held Accountable,’ Warns Impeachment Could Backfire
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders called for an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump on Thursday, The Hill reports.
“I believe the Judiciary Committee should begin impeachment inquiries,” the Vermont senator said, proceeding to explain the difference between an impeachment inquiry, and impeachment itself.
The inquires, as Sanders elaborated, would be used to determine whether Trump had committed impeachable offenses or not.
“This president is not above the law, no president is above the law. This president must be held accountable.”
But Sanders also warned that impeaching Trump could backfire.
The Vermont senator argued that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is hesitant to begin impeachment proceedings because not all Democrats would be on board and because the Senate would vote against convicting Trump regardless.
“But here is the danger, which I think is why Nancy Pelosi and many people are struggling: It may well be that Donald Trump wants to be impeached because he knows that in the Senate … there are 47 Democrats and not all of them today would impeach Trump,” he said.
Sanders also warned that the Democratic Party has to “walk down two paths simultaneously,” arguing that it could alienate supporters by focusing exclusively on President Trump. The Democrats, according to the presidential candidate, need to pay attention to the ordinary needs of everyday Americans and work on increasing wages, improving the health care system, the education system, and tackling climate change.
Sanders’ remarks came following Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s impromptu press conference, during which he discussed the Russia probe and related issues. Mueller cleared Trump and members of his campaign of conspiring with Russia to sway the 2016 presidential election, refusing to charge the president with obstruction of justice.
During the press briefing, Mueller suggested that the ball is now in Congress’ court. His remarks were interpreted as an implicit call for impeachment, increasing pressure on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who remains opposed to the notion.
Major international bookmaker slashes odds on Trump impeachment after Mueller statement https://t.co/ju0Y7s9Zk0 pic.twitter.com/iujxqj7yfD
— The Hill (@thehill) May 30, 2019
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, not everyone is opposed to impeaching Trump. In fact, dozens of Democratic lawmakers have publicly called for impeachment proceedings to begin, as have virtually all Democratic presidential candidates.
But Pelosi has maintained a firm stance, doubling down on her statements mere hours after Mueller’s conference, and suggesting that she is “optimistic” about the Democrats striking an infrastructure deal with President Trump.
Trump has weighed in on the issue of impeachment as well, stating that “impeach” is a “dirty, filthy, disgusting word,” and arguing that the courts would never allow it to happen.
