Nancy Pelosi Calls For Official Impeachment Inquiry Into Donald Trump

The United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on Tuesday afternoon announced a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump’s attempt to get the Ukrainian president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden’s son.

Pelosi, who had tried to head off talk of impeachment among her caucus, made the announcement as demands mounted for an investigation into Trump’s communications with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

She said the inquiry into what she referred to as a “violation of law” would be run by the heads of six House committees: Reps. Jerry Nadler (Judiciary), Elijah Cummings (Oversight), Adam Schiff (Intelligence), Maxine Waters (Financial Services), Eliot Engel (Foreign Affairs) and Richard Neal (Ways and Means).

“This week, the president has admitted to asking the president of Ukraine to take actions which would benefit him politically,” said Pelosi. “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. Therefore, today, I’m announcing the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry.”

The White House released a statement that said in part: House Democrats have destroyed any chances of legislative progress for the people of this country by continuing to focus all their energy on partisan political attacks. Their attacks on the President and his agenda are not only partisan and pathetic, they are in dereliction of their Constitutional duty.

“The Trump Administration will continue to be vigorous in laying out the facts and standing up for the many forgotten men and women who elected him.”

During the past few days, calls for impeachment have grown louder. Seven freshman Democrats, including some from swing districts that Trump won in 2016, published an op-ed in the Washington Post Monday night calling for the president’s impeachment.