House Democrats are pushing forward with impeachment proceedings this week after new allegations, based on hearsay, accused President Donald Trump of conspiring with a foreign power to investigate political opponents.
On Tuesday, during a speech on the House floor, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., officially endorsed impeachment along with other lawmakers who came out in favor of pursuing the proceedings. Reports suggest House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will join the rest of her caucus Tuesday evening in pushing for impeachment.
“I truly believe the time to begin impeachment proceedings against this president has come,” Lewis wrote on Twitter.
Pelosi — who has been hesitant to get behind Democrats calling for impeachment, as many members of her caucus hail from moderate districts whose members oppose the measure — is expected to join the calls for impeachment after discussing the proceedings with House Democrats in light of the new allegations against the president.
The push for impeachment comes as the White House faces heightened scrutiny over a July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. An apparent “whistleblower,” who, according to reports, has no firsthand knowledge of the conversation, has submitted a formal complaint accusing the president of requesting that the foreign leader investigate 2020 Democratic front-runner and former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden over their business dealings with a Ukrainian energy company.
The intelligence inspector general deemed the complaint credible and urgent, but officials at the Department of National Intelligence have come to a different conclusion and have not released the report to Congress.
Democrats on the campaign trail have also used the new allegations as ammunition to fuel their persistent calls for impeachment.
Impeachment is a risk for Democrats, however, as the public remains opposed to the measure. A recent Politico/Morning Consult poll shows only 37 percent of voters support the start of impeachment proceedings against Trump.