Whether or not to impeach President Joe Biden over his family’s business dealings is a controversial subject for Republicans, who seem somewhat split over the next course of action.
Donald Trump Demands Action
Unsurprisingly, Donald Trump made his opinions clear on his fellow party members at Saturday’s rally in Erie, Pennsylvania.
In a speech which included personal insults towards President Biden – “a dumb son of a *****” and “the Biden crime family” being two notable examples – Trump turned his attention to rising speculation of a formal impeachment.
Biden’s son Hunter is a key figure, with lawmakers eager to discover whether the president took part in any wrongdoing over his son’s business dealings in China and Ukraine.
Last week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy added fuel to the fire by stating evidence was “rising to the level of [an] impeachment inquiry,” prompting speculation over whether formal proceedings would be launched.
It would undoubtedly be a risky move which, as history has shown, can work in an impeached president’s favor if swing voters see it as a politically-charged act.
What Donald Trump wants
Trump, along with many of his supporters, want to see President Biden brought down at all costs.
The Republican frontrunner is pressuring lawmakers within the party to begin the impeachment process against Biden, stating they risk losing their jobs in the next election if they fail to do so.
“Any Republican that doesn’t act on Democratic fraud should be immediately primaried and get out,” Trump told supporters at his rally on Saturday.
“We got a lot of good, tough Republicans around. People are going to run against them, and people are going to win.”
Such a move would grab the world’s attention. However, following his own impeachment in 2020, Trump’s approval ratings climbed to a record-high 47%, and the same could happen with Biden.
Impeachment would be a huge risk in an election which, as the polls stand, could be even closer than four years before.
When could Biden be impeached?
While impeachment is a possibility, it’s unlikely to take place within the immediate future.
Congress is in recess throughout August, and will be spending much of next month passing essential spending bills to avoid a government shutdown.
Impeachment proceedings would take up valuable time required to avoid such an event, and it’s likely the Democrats would blame the GOP for causing it under the guise of a politically-motivated witch hunt.
That is, of course, the same argument Donald Trump uses in order to justify the criminal investigations against himself.
In addition, crucial evidence required for a justifiable impeachment remains unseen at this time – something the Republicans need in order to convince voters that this goes beyond party politics.
However, impeachment is still on the cards, as Speaker McCarthy hinted last week.
“If (the Biden administration) does not provide the information we need, then we would go to an impeachment inquiry.”
For now, however, it’s all bark and little bite.
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist based in Canada. He has written for the Western Standard, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo, and has covered notable events including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
From 19FortyFive
The Second American Civil War Has Begun
