Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA-12), the leader of the Democratic Party in the U.S. House of Representatives and one of the president’s biggest political enemies, has signaled that impeachment proceedings forwarded to pry Donald Trump out of the Oval Office are now “just not worth it.” Meanwhile, members of Pelosi’s caucus continue to seek investigations into Trump’s personal life and business dealings, remaining outspoken about their desire to oust the commander in chief.
“Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path because it divides the country. And he’s just not worth it,” Pelosi said during a recent interview with The Washington Post.
Her comments come just one week after the House Judiciary Committee issued document requests to more than 80 people affiliated with the Trump Administration, his 2016 campaign, and businesses. The House is also investigating payments that Michael Cohen, Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, made to silence women alleging affairs with the president, then-candidate Trump’s plans via a letter of intent to build Trump-branded properties in the heart of the Russian capital of Moscow, and how he managed his wide-ranging business conglomerate.
Regardless, Pelosi’s remarks are sure to rattle Democratic lawmakers, especially progressives and party activists who have been calling for impeachment since Trump was elected, which grew with vigor the day the liberal party reclaimed the lower chamber of Congress during the 2018 midterms.
During the interview, the speaker also alluded to the similarities between Democrats calling for impeachment and the failed proceedings in the late 1990s that had Republicans working to depose then-President Bill Clinton on the grounds of perjury to a grand jury and obstruction of justice. As public favor shifted away from removing the president, Clinton’s Democratic party actually gained seats in the House, though Republicans retained a slight majority.
In December 2017, less than one year after Trump was inaugurated, some Democrats moved to force the House to consider impeachment articles, but the measure was laid to rest by a 364-58 vote.
Over two decades removed from Clinton’s impeachment proceedings, Pelosi added in the interview, “There was no question that was that was horrible for the country. It was unnecessary and the rest.”
While the speaker may be backing off moving forward with impeachment proceedings, that does not mean she has come to terms with Trump’s presidency.
“I don’t think he’s fit to be president of the United States,” she said when asked if Trump has the capacity to run the country.
Pelosi explained, “All the challenges we have faced, we can withstand anything. But maybe not two [Trump] terms. So we have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Nevertheless, as the nation is just days away from the release of White House Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s long-awaited report, which Americans are told will ruin the Trump presidency, it does seem odd that Pelosi would come out and state that impeachment is off the table. Is she alluding to something?