Democrats start Trump impeachment probe
(China Daily | Sept. 26, 2019) Republican president calls US House’s drive ‘positive’, yet tweets with fury.
Democrats made their move against US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, as Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House of Representatives will open an impeachment inquiry over a phone call Trump had with Ukraine’s president in which former vice-president Joe Biden and his son were reportedly discussed.
“The actions taken to date by the president have seriously violated the Constitution,” Pelosi said after meeting with House Democrats at the Capitol. “The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law.”
The phone conversation was reported to be included in a whistleblower complaint that the Trump administration has not turned over to Congress, although a news report on Tuesday said the White House would release it.
The impeachment probe will center on whether Trump sought help from a foreign government in his bid for reelection next year. Biden is now a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination …
… William C. Banks, a law professor at New York’s Syracuse University, told China Daily: “If the allegations are true, the abuse of power is significant, and many members of Congress will be motivated to conduct impeachment proceedings.” He is the co-author of a 1994 book about tensions between the executive and legislative branches, National Security Law and the Power of the Purse.
As for the impact on the 2020 election, Banks said: “It’s too early to say. It could be the beginning of the end for President Trump, or the proceedings could backfire and propel Trump to reelection” …