Democratic Party leadership is moving forward with the impeachment of President Donald Trump — and it’s not sitting well with voters.
The pressure to end the impeachment of Trump has grown so strong, moderate Democrats are turning against their party leaders.
That’s according to The Washington Post, which wrote Wednesday:
House Democratic leaders are bracing for some defections among a group of moderate Democrats in swing districts who are concerned a vote to impeach President Trump could cost them their seats in November.
Republicans seem unwavering in their opposition to expelling Trump.
Privately, a half-dozen Democrats have reportedly come out and said they’ll vote against impeachment — and more are expected ahead of the vote.
Predictions about some defections come as a core group of centrists from districts Trump won in 2016 are having second thoughts. While many knew impeachment would never be popular in their GOP-leaning districts, some have been surprised that support hasn’t increased despite negative testimony about Trump from a series of blockbuster hearings last month.
Several moderates have privately pined for other options, including a censure vote they know they’re unlikely to get. Others have even considered what one moderate called ‘splitting the baby’: backing one article of impeachment but not the other to try to show independence from the party.
If six Democrats are currently voting against impeachment, Republicans would only need to win over 10 more liberal lawmakers to defeat the inquiry before it reaches the Senate.
Meanwhile, the House Judiciary Committee argued through a marathon session Thursday ahead of voting to send impeachment charges against Trump to the full House, the latest big step as the politically split Congress debates whether to remove Trump from office.
The top Republican, Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, called the proceedings a “farce” and said they should be halted until his side was provided a chance for its own hearing. The request was denied.
First up was an amendment from GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who tried to delete the first charge against Trump. “This amendment strikes article 1 because article 1 ignores the truth,” he declared.
Debate on that first Republican amendment lasted for nearly three hours before the panel rejected it, 23-17, on a party-line vote.
Thursday’s hearing picked up where Wednesday’s late-night session left off.
Into the night, Democrats and Republicans delivered sharp, poignant and, at times, personal arguments for and against impeachment. Both sides appealed to Americans’ sense of history — Democrats describing a strong sense of duty and Republicans decrying the “hot garbage’’ impeachment and what it means for the future of the country.
Cicilline asked Republicans standing with Trump to “wake up” and honor their oath of office. Republican Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana responded with his own request to “put your country over party.”
The House is expected to vote on the articles next week, in the days before Christmas. That would send them to the Senate for a 2020 trial.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that he would be “totally surprised″ if there were the necessary 67 votes in the chamber to convict Trump, and signaled options for a swift trial. He said no decision had been made about whether to call witnesses.
STUNNING! Crying Dem QUITS Congress (impeachment broke him)
The Associated Press contributed to this article