Nancy Pelosi inched a little closer to calling for Donald Trump’s impeachment Wednesday, saying, “If the goods are there, you must impeach.”
Speaking at an event hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, the California Democrat said that merely censuring Trump would not be strong enough a punishment for the president she has accused of a “cover up” and a “constitutional crisis.”
But — and it’s a critical but — the House speaker equivocated in classic Pelosian fashion, saying impeachment would only be worthwhile “if the goods are there.” Asked directly if she supported impeachment, Pelosi said that Democrats still need to persuade Republicans and the American public before going down that path.
Actions speak louder than words
Although it sounds like Pelosi’s rhetoric is creeping toward impeachment, her actions have so far failed to match with her extreme rhetoric about Trump’s alleged wrongdoing. The speaker has continually tamped down on impeachment fervor in her caucus, and she shows little sign of changing course.
Pelosi has long argued against impeaching Trump frivolously, warning it would be a political “gift” to the president. Even with pressure building on the Speaker to impeach Trump, Pelosi has insisted that Democrats should focus on investigating the president first.
Speaking at a media event Wednesday, Pelosi insisted that her hesitation to impeach Trump had nothing to do with politics. Pelosi argued that impeachment should wait until Democrats are finished building their case and that proceedings will begin when Democrats “stop finding even more information” that incriminates the president.
Considering that Robert Mueller spent almost two years investigating Trump, it certainly sounds like Pelosi is trying to buy herself time for the “do-over.” But Pelosi indicated that she would support impeachment over simply censuring Trump, calling the latter option a cop-out that doesn’t fit the crime. Democrats have accused Trump of flouting the Constitution and the rule of law by blocking their investigations and subpoenas.
“No. I think censure is just a way out,” Pelosi said. “If you want to go, you have to go. In other words, if the goods are there, you must impeach.
“Censure is nice but is not commensurate with the violations of the Constitution, should we decide that’s the way to go,” Pelosi added. “That’s a day at the beach for the president — or his golf club, wherever he goes.”
Ambiguity remains
At the same time, Pelosi all but admitted that her impeachment approach is dead in the water. Breaking with Democrats calling for Trump’s impeachment immediately — with or without bipartisan support — the Democrat maintained that impeachment without the backing of Republicans in the Senate and the American people would be a mistake.
“It is important for the American people to see the purpose on why we’re going forward,” she stated. “If you are going to go down this path you have to make sure the public has an understanding of why.”
It sounds like Pelosi isn’t very confident the Democrats have much of a case. Asked about Democrats signing on with impeachment, Pelosi said that she doesn’t feel pressured to proceed down that path, even as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said Sunday that there is a “quite real” sense of impatience with Pelosi among progressives.
“I don’t think you should have an inquiry unless you’re ready to impeach,” the Speaker added. “I feel no pressure from my members to do anything, I have no pressure on them to do anything.”
In recent weeks, Pelosi’s rhetoric on impeachment has grown markedly more extreme. The Speaker has accused the president of setting off a “constitutional crisis” and even engaging in a criminal “cover up.” But despite these dramatic accusations, Pelosi has been reluctant to impeach Trump, even as she claims that the president is building a case for his impeachment with each passing day.
Pelosi reportedly told Democrats recently that she wants to vote Trump out of office and then have him prosecuted, rather than impeach him. Some pro-impeachment Democrats including Ocasio-Cortez have soured on this approach, and they can hardly be blamed; it certainly sounds like a cop-out.
On one hand, Pelosi’s comments Wednesday sound more definitive than her usual responses. By calling the censure path too weak, Pelosi is at least showing some self-awareness that there is a gap between her drastic rhetoric and her actions. But is she really shifting course?
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