Reality has just slapped House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the face. On Monday, she made a confession to The Washington Post that had far-left Democratic voters furious.
No matter how much Democrats gnash their teeth and howl in anger at a Republican-controlled White House, Pelosi says an impeachment of President Donald Trump simply isn’t happening.
Pelosi said he is “just not worth it” even as some on her left flank urge lawmakers to start proceedings.
Pelosi told The Washington Post on Monday that she couldn’t beat Trump, so it’s not worth trying. “I’m not for impeachment” of the president, the Democratic lawmaker admitted.
“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,” she said.
By making the statement, Pelosi is sending a message to fellow Democrats that the party will not move forward with trying to remove Trump from office. It’s also a preview of what liberal lawmakers expect from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation to Russian election meddling, which is expected to conclude soon.
In the past, Pelosi said she’d wait on Mueller’s findings before considering impeachment. Now that it’s clear there is zero evidence of collusion after two years of investigating, Pelosi has retreated even further.
Looks like Trump was right all along.
Instead, House Democrats are pursuing their own broad, high-profile investigation — a repeat of a House investigation from last year that also found zero evidence of collusion. The goal, insiders say, is to keep the mainstream media’s focus on Trump and Russia heading towards the 2020 election.
Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, one of the Democrats leading those investigations, said he agrees with Pelosi. He said any talk of impeachment “has to be a bipartisan effort, and right now it’s not there.”
And he knows Republicans will never go along with the so-called “witch hunt.” Instead, it will be up to the American voters to decide.
“I get the impression this matter will only be resolved at the polls,” Cummings said.
Still, Pelosi’s comments are certain to stoke a further tension with the party’s highly energized far-left. Some new freshman Democrats who hail from extremely liberal districts haven’t shied away from the subject — Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib used a vulgarity in calling for Trump’s impeachment the day she was sworn in.
Even the liberal elite have been left furious by Pelosi’s admission of defeat.
Billionaire Tom Steyer, who is bankrolling a million-dollar campaign pushing for Trump’s impeachment, shot back at Pelosi on Monday: “Speaker Pelosi thinks ‘he’s just not worth it?’ Well, is defending our legal system ‘worth it?’ Is holding the president accountable for his crimes and cover-ups ‘worth it?’ Is doing what’s right ‘worth it?’ Or shall America just stop fighting for our principles and do what’s politically convenient.”
Republicans alternately praised Pelosi and were skeptical. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said “I agree” in response to Pelosi’s words.
Sanders added of impeachment, “I don’t think it should have ever been on the table.”
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said it was a “smart thing for her to say,” but Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said he doesn’t think it’s “going to fly” with some of Pelosi’s members.
“I do believe what Speaker Pelosi understands is that what they’re wanting to do is going to require far more than what they have now, so I think they are hedging their bet on it,” Collins said.
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The Associated Press contributed to this article