By Hannah Bleau
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) recently expressed concerns that the American public is not smart enough to truly understand the impeachment process.
The California lawmaker has been hesitant to jump aboard the impeachment train alongside the more “energized” members of her party. Prior to the tumultuous 2018 midterm elections and Mueller report results, Pelosi promised impeachment was “off the table.”
“Going into the [2006] election, I said it’s off the table. I didn’t mean it’s off the table if you had some goods. If somebody has information, then we can act upon it,” Pelosi toldRolling Stone. “But from what we know now, it’s off the table.”
“Even with Trump. If you got something, show it,” Pelosi continued. “But I’m not going after it. What we’re going after is the economic security of America’s working families.”
Pelosi seemed to have a change of heart last month and accused Trump of being involved in a “cover-up.”
“We do believe that it’s important to follow the facts. We believe that no one is above the law, including the president of the United States. And we believe the president of the United States is engaged in a cover up,” she said after emerging from a meeting with House Democrats.
Fellow Democrat members are desperately trying to build a pro-impeachment coalition– one Pelosi would be unable to withstand. A number of House Democrats have been settingup a series of meetings in an effort to recruit and beef up their pro-impeachment movement, according to a report from the Daily Beast.
Despite Pelosi’s subtle shift in tone, there’s still an element of hesitancy for pursuing impeachment. It’s seemingly rooted in her concern for the American people’s mental capacity, or lack thereof.
Pelosi reportedly made the remarks during a closed-door members’ meeting following Memorial Day weekend, according to the Daily Beast, who reported:
The Speaker, according to two sources with knowledge of the meeting, expressed concerns that the public still doesn’t understand how the process of impeachment would play out. She noted that in her time over the recess in California well educated voters didn’t seem to understand that impeachment proceedings would not necessarily result in Trump’s immediate ouster from office.
An internal struggle continues to exist between House members who want to impeach Trump and those who fear ruffling the House Speaker’s feathers.
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