President Donald Trump continued his criticism of top Democratic leaders on late Oct. 6, alleging that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) may have committed treason and should be removed from office.
“Nancy Pelosi knew of all of the many Shifty Adam Schiff lies and massive frauds perpetrated upon Congress and the American people, in the form of a fraudulent speech knowingly delivered as a ruthless con, and the illegal meetings with a highly partisan Whistleblower & lawyer,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
“This makes Nervous Nancy every bit as guilty as Liddle Adam Schiff for High Crimes and Misdemeanors, and even Treason. I guess that means that they, along with all of those that evilly Colluded with them, must all be immediately Impeached!” he added.
Nancy Pelosi knew of all of the many Shifty Adam Schiff lies and massive frauds perpetrated upon Congress and the American people, in the form of a fraudulent speech knowingly delivered as a ruthless con, and the illegal meetings with a highly partisan “Whistleblower” & lawyer…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2019
….This makes Nervous Nancy every bit as guilty as Liddle Adam Schiff for High Crimes and Misdemeanors, and even Treason. I guess that means that they, along with all of those that evilly “Colluded” with them, must all be immediately Impeached!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2019
In recent weeks, Trump has targeted Pelosi and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) in his criticism after the House launched an impeachment inquiry into the president over accusations that he was leveraging from his office by asking Ukraine to investigate “dirt” on 2020 candidate Joe Biden during a call in July.
The accusations, which began from a whistleblower complaint, prompted the White House to release the transcript of that call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The transcript revealed that Trump had asked Zelensky to look into Crowdstrike, a technology firm that was hired by the Democratic National Committee, and look into Bidens dealings with Ukraine while he was vice president. In 2018, Biden bragged that he pressured then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in 2016 to remove a prosecutor in charge of a probe of Ukrainian gas company Burisma, where Bidens son was a board member.
The president has repeatedly maintained that his phone call with the Ukrainian president was “perfect” and that he had asked Zelensky for help to investigate the alleged corruption around Bidens dealings.
The whistleblower alleges that Trumps request to Zelensky amounted to a violation of campaign finance law. The Justice Department reviewed the complaint and determined no further action was necessary.
The commander-in-chief has also pointed out that it is his right as the president to investigate corruption and, as part of that duty, ask other countries to help the United States in various probes.
Some legal experts have shared the same opinion, saying that it was normal for countries to ask each other for help in criminal matters.
Along with Pelosi, the president has also suggested that Schiff should be arrested for treason for mischaracterizing parts of the Trump-Zelensky call by mixing in his own words that Trump had not communicated to the Ukrainian president.
The California congressman was subsequently chastised by fellow members of his committee. In his defense to the criticism, Schiff said his summary of the presidents call was meant to be “at least part in parody.”
Congress members cannot be impeached, however, the Constitution allows each chamber of Congress to create their own rules to “punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour” or “expel a member.” Expulsion is the sternest disciplinary form a member can face and requires a two-thirds vote of those present in the House. A member can also face a censure, which does not remove a member but acts as a form of public rebuke.
