Trump’s actions are a ‘betrayal of his oath of office,’ Pelosi says
More than three-quarters of House Democrats have come out in support of an inquiry as Trump’s Ukraine scandal grows.
By Heidi Przybyla and Adam Edelman
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who for months resisted efforts to launch impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, announced a formal inquiry on Tuesday, saying that the president’s burgeoning Ukraine scandal marked a “breach of his Constitutional responsibilities.”
“This week the president has admitted to asking the president of Ukraine to take actions which would benefit him politically,” Pelosi said.
“The actions of the Trump presidency revealed the dishonorable fact of the president’s betrayal of his oath of office, betrayal of our national security, and betrayal of the integrity of our elections,” she continued. “Therefore, today I am announcing the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry.”
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics
Pelosi said she was formally directing her party’s six committees to “proceed with their investigations under that umbrella.”
“The president must be held accountable,” she said. “No one is above the law.”
Pelosi’s change of heart comes as dozens of House Democrats — now more than two-thirds of the caucus — have come out in support of an impeachment inquiry in the wake of reports that Trump may have withheld aid to Ukraine to pressure officials there to investigate the son of political rival Joe Biden.
The impeachment drive follows days of revelations surrounding Trump’s apparent push to have the Ukrainian government investigate the former vice president’s son Hunter Biden, who had business dealings in the country. On Monday, The Washington Post and other media outlets reported that Trump instructed his acting chief of staff to place a hold on about $400 million in military aid for Ukraine in the days before a late July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump responded on Twitter within moments of Pelosi’s announcement, calling it “Witch Hunt garbage.”
“They never even saw the transcript of the call. A total Witch Hunt!” he wrote.
Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump
Such an important day at the United Nations, so much work and so much success, and the Democrats purposely had to ruin and demean it with more breaking news Witch Hunt garbage. So bad for our Country!
Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump
Pelosi, Nadler, Schiff and, of course, Maxine Waters! Can you believe this?41.7K5:11 PM — Sep 24, 2019
Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump
They never even saw the transcript of the call. A total Witch Hunt!