Rep. Maxine Waters admitted that the American people do not support impeaching president Trump, but she’s not giving up hope yet.
The California Democrat told media outlet Cheddar that the polls currently do not show widespread support for impeachment, which Waters has long advocated, but says she is “confident” the American people will see things her way as Democrats uncover evidence of alleged wrongdoing by the president.
“And so it’s not reflected yet in the way that it should be reflected in the polls, but I’m confident that as each day goes by, that as people learn more and more, and the Mueller report has helped an awful lot. People understanding things they’ve never heard before,” the California Democrat said outside her state party’s convention.
Polling shows that a majority of Americans are not in support of impeachment even after Robert Mueller refused to clear Trump of a crime in his only remarks on his investigation last week. Mueller’s remarks nudged some additional Democrats toward impeachment, but the party itself is still backing Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who opposes such a measure.
Waters’ admission
Though Waters supported impeaching Trump long before Mueller’s investigation of collusion ended, and although Mueller finished his work without establishing a conspiracy between Trump and Russia, Waters is as confident as ever. The Democrat said that the country is “unsettled” and that Americans with varying political views want to see Trump held accountable somehow.
“I do believe that our country is a bit unsettled because we have the president — the likes we’ve never seen before. We have people coming from all different directions in our society saying something is wrong, and members of the California society want members of Congress to do something about it,” Waters said.
Waters admitted that public opinion is against impeachment, and that few people are interested in reading Mueller’s over 400-page report — which takes literally hundreds of pages to say ‘no collusion’ — but added that the Democrats’ investigations of Trump will help shift the tide. Waters appears to have placed hope in what president Trump has labeled the “do-over” — an attempt by Democrats to drum up support for his impeachment with their own independent investigations and subpoenas, all thinly predicated on the Mueller report.
“Many people will never read that report, but as we go through our constitutional responsibility of oversight and investigation in the six committees that have that responsibility with this investigation, people are going to learn more and I’m confident the support for impeachment will grow,” she added.
Pelosi prevailing
Mueller’s public comments emboldened the small group of Democrats already supporting impeachment and encouraged a few more to sign on, bringing the number of Democrats who support the measure to more than 50. But with Mueller having exonerated Trump of collusion, and the nation fatigued by over two years of constant impeachment talk, it is hard to imagine support for impeachment growing much larger. Obstruction of justice doesn’t quite have the same punch as the Russian collusion that the public was promised for two years.
If anything, Mueller’s parting remarks should have been the kill-shot. But even after Mueller refused to clear Trump of wrongdoing, a Harvard/IPSOS poll found that only 37% of Americans and 60% of Democrats support impeachment. The poll also found that more than 60% of Americans think Democrats should accept the conclusion that Trump did not collude or obstruct justice.
Sensitive to this reality, Pelosi has long opposed impeaching Trump without solid proof. If she were to lead House Democrats in an impeachment push, the effort would die in the Senate, where Republicans have control.
Pelosi has nevertheless faced mounting pressure from Democrats in her caucus and outside progressive groups to impeach Trump. Democrats have grown restive over Trump’s stonewalling of their subpoenas, with Democrats saying Trump should be impeached for obstructing Mueller’s probe, or even that an impeachment inquiry should be launched to strengthen their hand in the subpoena fight. Mueller’s remarks last week added new urgency to the impeachment push.
But the Speaker is sticking to her approach of investigating Trump first, impeaching second. Like she often does, Pelosi patronized Democrats seeking impeachment Wednesday, saying she respects their “impatience.” but she’s sticking to her plan. That plan includes voting whether or not to hold Attorney General William Barr and former White House counsel Donald McGahn in contempt of Congress next week.
Uncertain path
For all her impeachment rhetoric, Waters has not pushed back against Pelosi’s approach in any substantive way.
While it’s true that Trump is a polarizing president, most Americans expect to see more than a flimsy obstruction charge before the commander in chief is escorted out of the Oval Office in handcuffs. If Mueller’s “bombshell” wasn’t enough, then Democrats will have to hope they can dredge something up in the marginalia of the Mueller report, or else Trump’s tax returns and other personal records.
After Mueller’s failure to deliver the collusion smoking gun, though, it’s hard to imagine the Democrats will find what they need. Still, Waters is staying optimistic, asserting, “The conversation has started, and it’s growing. And I’m looking forward to more members coming on.”
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