Mueller’s Statement Brings Renewed Calls For Impeachment By House Democrats

After Robert S. Mueller III‘s stated on Wednesday that he had not exonerated President Donald Trump from any possible obstruction of justice charges, many House Democrats began to repeat their calls for Trump’s impeachment. Mueller, speaking to the public for the first time since he began his investigation two years ago, announced that while his investigation had not charged the president with any crimes, that was not because he was definitively innocent but because it was illegal for him to charge a sitting president with a federal crime.

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House Democrats eagerly gobbled up Mueller’s statement as further evidence that the president was unfit for office and should be forcefully evicted from the White House. Rep. David Cicilline (D-Rhode Island), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, suggested that it was time for the committee to “open an impeachment inquiry to formally begin consideration of whether or not articles of impeachment should be filed.” Rep. Justin Amash (R-Michigan) joined in as well, continuing his campaign to have Trump, a fellow Republican, impeached.

This pro-impeachment faction hoped that the special counsel’s choice not to clear Trump’s name would help to convince Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) to begin the impeachment proceedings. However, Pelosi remained adamant in her decision not to go down the path of impeachment, believing it to be a misuse of the Democrats’ time.

Pelosi’s decision comes after a recent statement by several GOP senators that if an impeachment trial were to take place, it would be ended as swiftly as possible, ensuring that the Democrats would get nothing out of such a hearing. Because the Republicans have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, they have the power to block the Democrats from bringing in any testimony or evidence, effectively censoring the minority party and preventing any real threat to Trump’s presidency.