Nancy Pelosi has been pushing back against efforts by Democrats to impeach President Donald Trump following the release of the Mueller report. Her cautious approach comes in stark contrast to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which is seeking to immediately start the impeachment process.
Pelosi has urged Democrats to remember that they can still investigate the president without impeaching him. Any effort by the House to impeach President Trump is likely to fizzle out in the GOP-controlled Senate.
However, when it comes to Attorney General William Barr, Pelosi joked that she’s “all for impeaching Barr.” The attorney general has come under scrutiny for his efforts to allegedly spin the Mueller report in favor of the president. Many Democrats claim that his original four-page summary of the report was misleading.
In a written statement, Pelosi argued: “While our views range from proceeding to investigate the findings of the Mueller report or proceeding directly to impeachment, we all firmly agree that we should proceed down a path of finding the truth. It is also important to know that the facts regarding holding the president accountable can be gained outside of impeachment hearings.”
However, Pelosi later urged restraint in the same letter, noting: “As we proceed to uncover the truth and present additional needed reforms to protect our democracy, we must show the American people we are proceeding free from passion or prejudice, strictly on the presentation of fact.”
Pelosi almost certainly remembers failed GOP efforts to impeach then sitting Democratic President Bill Clinton. She was a prominent member of the House. The failed efforts led to Democratic gains in the next election.
A recent Morning Consult poll shows that just 34 percent of Americans support impeachment. President Trump’s popularity has waned since the release of the report, however, with his approval rating dropping to just 39 percent.
