President Trump’s reelection campaign on Thursday urged the House to “just get on with” an impeachment vote, minutes after Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced that the House would proceed with articles of impeachment.
“We are less than a year away from Election Day 2020 and Democrats can’t possibly explain to the American people why they want to take the decision of who should be president out of the hands of voters,” campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement.
“But impeaching the President has always been their goal,” he continued, “so they should just get on with it so we can have a fair trial in the Senate and expose The Swamp for what it is.”
He added that Pelosi, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden should testify as part of the trial, reiterating a message Trump and some Republicans have been pushing from the start of the impeachment probe.
“And then we can get back to the business of our country,” Parscale concluded.
Trump similarly pushed for the Democrats to be speedy with an impeachment vote and called on Schiff, Pelosi and the Bidens to testify.
“The Do Nothing Democrats had a historically bad day yesterday in the House. They have no Impeachment case and are demeaning our Country. But nothing matters to them, they have gone crazy. Therefore I say, if you are going to impeach me, do it now, fast, so we can have a fair trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business,” he tweeted.
Pelosi announced Thursday morning that she would be asking the House chairmen leading the impeachment probe to draft articles of impeachment.
The White House and Republican National Committee (RNC) also hit House Democrats’ for Pelosi’s decision.
“.@SpeakerPelosi & the Democrats should be ashamed. @realDonaldTrump has done nothing but lead our country — resulting in a booming economy, more jobs & a stronger military, to name just a few of his major accomplishments,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham tweeted shortly after Pelosi’s announcement.
“We look forward to a fair trial in the Senate.”
RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel said Pelosi’s “abuse of power” will energize Republican voters to reelect Trump next year.
“The Founders began the Constitution with ‘We the People’ for a reason,” McDaniel said in a statement. “Pelosi wants to negate the votes of 63 million Americans, all while denying President Trump due process. It is the ultimate abuse of power, and all the more reason why Republicans must take back the House and re-elect President Trump in 2020.”
Pelosi’s announcement comes a day after the House Judiciary Committee held its first hearing weighing whether to introduce articles of impeachment against Trump. It followed weeks of House Intelligence Committee hearings over Trump’s alleged solicitation of foreign interference in the 2020 election.
“The president’s actions have seriously violated the constitution,” Pelosi said in a televised address. “Our Democracy is at stake. The president leaves us no choice but to act.”