House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Democrats had expected former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony on Wednesday to kickstart the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
Pelosi and others predicted Mueller would be the “bombshell” witness to turn America against the president.
Instead, Mueller was described as “labored” and “awkward,” “confused,” and “a stammering, stuttering mess.”
It was a disaster for the Democrats — and it left Pelosi very, very mad.
So mad, she ended up snapping at a CNN reporter.
In a post-Mueller press conference held by Democratic leadership on Wednesday, CNN’s Manu Raju was setting up a question about her previous impeachment comments — and Pelosi lost her cool.
“You have long said that there’s no point to an impeachment inquiry because Republicans control the Senate,” Raju started.
“It’s going to die in the Senate, is that no longer…”
“I have never long said that!” Pelosi snapped. “I have never long said that!”
“If we have a case for impeachment, then that’s the place we will have to go,” she said.
“The fact that… why I would like to have a strong case is because I don’t… it’s because it’s based on the facts, the facts, and the law,” Pelosi said, clearly struggling to maintain her thoughts.
“That’s what matters! Not politics. Not partisanship. Just patriotism.”
“I don’t care… I mean, I’d like the Senate to be responsible and honor their oath of office to protect and to defend the Constitution… Uh, to see the challenge this is to our national security, what the Russians are trying to do to our country,” Pelosi added.
“The stronger our case is, the worse the Senate will look for just letting the president off the hook,” she said.
Even CNN is calling her statement a surprising “shift” in the Democratic leadership’s long term plans.
You can watch the heated exchange here —
Asked Pelosi about her previous concerns that Senate Rs wouldn't go along with convicting Trump if House impeaches, and she shot back: "I have never long said that … The stronger our case is, the worse the Senate will look for just letting the president off the hook."
A shift? pic.twitter.com/6Udt6023QT
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 24, 2019
The Horn editorial team