Graham says Pelosi has 2 impeachment choices: ‘Drive the train, or be run over by it’
As the leader of Democrats in the U.S. House called for articles of impeachment to be drafted Thursday, Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham again compared the investigation into President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine to the Salem witch trials.
The request by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, comes one day after four constitutional law professors — three invited by Democrats and one invited by Republicans — testified about whether impeachment was justified.
“Three liberal law professors testifying they believe President Trump did something wrong has not dramatically shifted public opinion in favor of impeachment. Liberal law professors wanted to impeach Trump on Inauguration Day,” Graham said in a statement Thursday. “One day after hearings involving law professors giving their opinions, she is directing the House to draft Articles of Impeachment. Salem witches got better deals than this.”
The House is holding the impeachment inquiry to explore whether the president tried to withhold foreign aid to Ukraine in exchange for the country agreeing to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a Democrat who could wind up facing Trump in the 2020 general election.
Graham also said Pelosi was pushed to call for impeachment.
“Speaker Pelosi is the conductor of the impeachment train in name only,” Graham wrote in a statement. “The American people understand Pelosi has two choices: drive the train, or be run over by it. She is living in fear of The Squad.”
“The Squad” is a group of four high-profile House Democrats who were elected in 2018: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. The quartet has been critical of Trump but also publicly battled with Pelosi.
Graham himself has asked for documents in regards to Biden’s communications with Ukraine.
Graham’s comments Thursday echoed ones he made last month that those accused during the Salem Witch Trials were treated better.
SC congressional delegation react
Reaction from the state’s congressional delegation Thursday was mixed.
“I think some of the professors on yesterday made it clear that if these activities are not impeachable, then we probably ought to amend the Constitution of the United States and get rid of impeachment altogether,” U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, a Columbia Democrat, wrote.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-Laurens, on Twitter called the impeachment proceedings a “sham.”
“There is no evidence and there is no case,” Duncan tweeted. “All that exists is an enormous hatred for the man in the White House.”
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill, called today’s announcement by Pelosi part of a longtime goal.
“She’s been working towards this since the moment Donald Trump was elected,” Norman said on Twitter.
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-Springdale, said on Twitter, there have been threats of impeachment even before the Trump was elected.
“Americans are tired of warrantless attacks on this President and want Congress to focus on issues that actually matter,” Wilson said.
This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 12:32 PM.
