On September 24, 2020, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) issued an ultimatum to President Donald Trump, setting the stage for an historic impeachment inquiry. Following the formal announcement from Pelosi, the Democratic-controlled House launched an impeachment inquiry into President Trump, the first one since the 1973 Watergate scandal.
The announcement precedes an announcement from House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler, who has asked the President to provide documents related to six different conversations he had with Ukraine President Volodymr Zelensky. Nadler also asked for documents related to Ukraine’s role in the 2016 US presidential election and the firing of FBI Director James Comey.
The impeachment inquiry itself is being led by House Intel Committee Chairman Adam Schiff. Schiff is leading a three-person team working to uncover evidence and build a case for an impeachment inquiry. They will look to past testimonies from White House officials, Justice Department Officials, and other witnesses, as well as documents, news reports, and other sources of evidence.
The launch of the impeachment inquiry has been met with much public attention and criticism, as it is largely seen as a partisan move on the part of Democrats. While Pelosi has touted the inquiry as necessary to protect the Constitution and Democracy, President Trump has called it a “political witch hunt” and alleges that Democrats are motivated solely by politics.
Nevertheless, the inquiry continues and there has been some speculation as to what comes next. Despite the concern that the inquiry will quickly stall, it appears that the Democrats have real intentions of taking this process as far as possible.
Donald Trump’s legal team has already revealed their strategy for defending the president against any articles of impeachment that may be lodged against him, indicating that they’ve been preparing for this eventuality for quite some time. With the White House already lawyering up, the path forward remains as uncertain as ever.
It remains to be seen how McCarthy’s shaky launch of the Biden impeachment inquiry will play out and what, if any, impact it will have on the upcoming 2020 election. But one thing is for certain: the impeachment inquiry has brought a renewed focus on President Donald Trump’s alleged misdeeds, and the scandal appears to be far from over.
