2020 White House hopeful Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) announced Friday that she now supports an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump over his phone call with the leader of Ukraine after affirming this week that the conversation fails to make a “compelling” case to oust the president.
“Up to this point, I have been opposed to pursuing impeachment because it will further divide our already badly divided country,” Gabbard said in a statement. “However, after looking carefully at the transcript of the conversation with Ukraine’s President, the whistleblower complaint, the Inspector General memo, and President Trump’s comments about the issue, unfortunately, I believe that if we do not proceed with the inquiry, it will set a very dangerous precedent.”
The Hawaii congresswoman urged House Democrats to run a swift and narrow impeachment probe, warning against a “long, protracted partisan circus that will further divide our country and undermine our democracy.”
Gabbard’s change of heart comes roughly 48 hours after warning against impeachment, stating the inquiry would be “terribly divisive” for the United States.
“Look, Donald Trump is corrupt — he is unfit to serve our country as president. He is unqualified to serve our country as commander-in-chief, I’m running for president to defeat him,” the lawmaker told The Hill. “I just think it’s so important for our country to be able to move forward to bridge these divides that it be the American people that make this decision.”
A so-called “whistleblower” complaint by a partisan CIA officer alleges President Trump sought to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a July 25th call to probe Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President and 2020 White House contender Joe Biden — however — Zelensky has denied being pressured whatsoever.
“I think you read everything. I think you read text. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be involved to democratic open elections, elections of USA. No, sure, we had I think good phone call. It was normal. We spoke about many things, and I — so I think and you read it that nobody pushed me,” Zelensky told reporters at the United Nations in New York City.
Nonetheless, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Wednesday announced a formal impeachment inquiry, accusing the president of using taxpayer money to shake-down a foreign government for political purposes.
Although House Democrats are hoping for a fast impeachment probe, some credibility issues regarding the “whistleblower” and his complaint have already come to light.