Trump will be impeached for ‘endangering US democracy’
HOUSE Democrats yesterday announced two articles of impeachment against US President Donald Trump – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
He is charged with threatening the integrity of the US election system and endangering national security in his dealings with Ukraine.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, flanked by the chairmen of the impeachment inquiry committees, declared at the Capitol they were upholding their solemn oath to defend the US Constitution.
Voting is expected in a matter of days in the Judiciary Committee and by Christmas in the full House.
Mr Trump swiftly responded, tweeting the words he uses repeatedly to decry the investigations against him: “WITCH HUNT!” The White House said the charges were “baseless”, and his re-election campaign called them “rank partisanship”.
Democrats said they had no choice but to act because Mr Trump has shown a pattern of behaviour that, if left unchecked, poses risks to the democratic process ahead of the 2020 election.
“Our president holds the ultimate public trust. When he betrays that trust and puts himself before country, he endangers the Constitution; he endangers our democracy; he endangers our national security,” said Democrat House Representative Jerrold Nadler, the Judiciary chairman, announcing the charges before a portrait of George Washington. “Our next election is at risk. That is why we must act now.
“No one, not even the president, is above the law.’’
Chairman Adam Schiff, of the Intelligence Committee, said: “We stand here today because the president’s abuse of power leaves us with no choice.”
In response, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Democrats are trying to “overthrow’’ the administration. Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said Democrats are “putting on this political theatre because they don’t have a viable candidate for 2020 and they know it.”
The president’s son, Eric, embraced his father’s penchant for name calling, assailing Ms Pelosi and “her swamp creatures”.
As the House chairmen arrived at a closeddoor meeting of the chamber’s Democrats after the announcement, they were greeted with applause.
The outcome appears increasingly set as the House prepares for voting, as it has only three times in history against a president. Approval of the charges would send them to the Senate in January, where the Republican majority would be unlikely to convict Mr Trump.
Later, Ms Pelosi announced agreement on a modified North American trade pact, handing the president a major Capitol Hill win.
The California Democrat said the revamped US-Mexico-Canada Agreement is a significant improvement over the original North American
‘No one, not even the president, is above the law’
Free Trade Agreement, crediting Democratic negotiators for winning stronger provisions on enforcing the agreement.
“There is no question that this trade agreement is much better than Nafta,” Ms Pelosi said in announcing the agreement, saying the pact is “infinitely better than what was initially proposed by the administration”.
Mr Trump said the revamped trade pact will “be great” for the United States.
“It will be the best and most important trade deal ever made by the USA. Good for everybody – Farmers, Manufacturers, Energy, Unions
– tremendous support. Importantly, we will finally end our Country’s worst Trade Deal, NAFTA!” he tweeted.
Ms Pelosi is the key congressional force behind the accord, which updates the 25-year-old Nafta accord that many Democrats – especially from manufacturing areas hit hard by trade-related job losses – have long lambasted.
She has negotiated with the administration extensively to win stronger enforcement provisions. Her efforts have appeared to build support among Democrats.
“There are those who I read about in one place or another that say, ‘why would you give President Trump a victory?’” Ms Pelosi said on Monday night at a ‘Wall Street Journal’ event for corporate executives.
“Well, why wouldn’t we? This is the right thing to do for our trade situation, for our workers.”
Nafta eliminated most tariffs and other trade barriers involving the United States, Mexico and Canada.