House Speaker Threatens Joe Biden with Impeachment – House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has delivered an ultimatum to President Joe Biden, demanding access to his family’s bank and credit card statements, or else face the initiation of an impeachment inquiry by House Republicans.
McCarthy’s warning came during an interview with Fox Business Network, where he stated, “If [the Bidens] provide us the documents, there wouldn’t be a need for an impeachment inquiry. But if they withhold the documents and fight like they have now to not provide to the American public what they deserve to know, we will move forward with an impeachment inquiry when we come back into session.”
The Speaker did not specify which members of the Biden family he was targeting with this demand. However, this ultimatum follows McCarthy’s recent, unproven accusations against the Bidens, including allegations that they received payments from foreign companies and that the Justice Department treated Hunter Biden differently in its investigations into tax and gun crimes.
These allegations, raised by McCarthy, were made public during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity in July. McCarthy contended that these claims were serious enough to warrant an impeachment inquiry. He accused the Bidens of dishonesty, stating, “When Biden was running for office, he told the public he has never talked about business. He said his family has never received a dollar from China, which we now prove is not true.”
Republican Panic over Joe Biden Impeachment
Republicans had earlier decided not to immediately vote on an impeachment resolution led by Representative Lauren Boebert in June.
Instead, they referred it to the Homeland Security and Judiciary committees amid internal GOP tensions. McCarthy had argued against an immediate impeachment vote, suggesting that the Oversight Committee and Judiciary Committee should conclude their ongoing investigations into the Bidens before pursuing impeachment proceedings.
While McCarthy has floated the idea of an impeachment inquiry, some moderate Republicans remain conflicted about whether to launch a formal inquiry, which is typically the initial step before impeachment proceedings.
Douglas E. Schoen, a former aide to President Bill Clinton, argued in a column for The Hill on Monday, that previous Presidential impeachments, including that of his former boss, saw poll numbers rise post-proceedings. He also highlighted how the case has been the same for Donald Trump. Yet, such actions also eroded trust in government institutions.
These dynamics raise concerns, especially among Senate Republicans, that moving forward with impeachment could alienate moderate voters and establish a precedent for politically motivated impeachment.
An Unclear Goal
Despite McCarthy’s strong words this week, the exact nature of the documents sought by Republicans remains unclear, as neither McCarthy’s office nor the House Oversight Committee have provided specific details. The White House has not yet commented on McCarthy’s ultimatum.
The Democrats and the White House have criticized McCarthy’s comments and the ongoing GOP-led investigations into the Bidens, with White House spokesperson Ian Sams accusing McCarthy of “lying about their ‘investigations’ because the truth is their own witnesses testified President Biden wasn’t involved and did nothing wrong.”
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
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