Tulsi Gabbard Now Says She Supports Trump Impeachment Inquiry
The Hawaii congresswoman, a Democrat running for president, had previously said impeachment would further divide the country.
WASHINGTON 鈥 Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard issued a statement Friday saying she now supports an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
Gabbard鈥檚 comments come after new details emerged from a whistleblower complaint that alleged Trump tried to convince Ukraine鈥檚 president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his son and that the White House tried to cover it up.
鈥淎fter looking carefully at the transcript of the conversation with Ukraine鈥檚 President, the whistleblower complaint, the Inspector General memo, and President Trump鈥檚 comments about the issue, unfortunately, I believe that if we do not proceed with the inquiry, it will set a very dangerous precedent,” Gabbard said in an email message sent out by her congressional office as well as her campaign committee.
“Future presidents, as well as anyone in positions of power in the government, will conclude that they can abuse their position for personal gain, without fear of accountability or consequences.”
In her statement, Gabbard noted that she had been opposed to impeachment because it would 鈥渇urther divide our already badly divided country.鈥
鈥淚f we allow the President to abuse his or her power, then our society will rot from top to bottom,” Gabbard said. “We will turn into a banana republic, where people in positions of power 鈥 from the president all the way down to the traffic cop 鈥 will feel it’s okay to abuse their power with no consequences.鈥
On Wednesday, during an on Hill.TV鈥檚 鈥淩ising,鈥 Gabbard remained skeptical. She said that the partial transcript of Trump鈥檚 phone call with Zelensky did not provide 鈥渁n extremely compelling鈥 case for impeachment.
鈥淚nstead,鈥 she said, 鈥渕ost people will see is this is another move by Democrats to get rid of Donald Trump, further deepening the already hyper-partisan divides that we have in this country.鈥
She again warned of the potential for partisan division in her statement Friday. Gabbard said that any investigation should be swift and narrowly tailored to Trump鈥檚 alleged abuse of power in relation to his dealings with Ukraine鈥檚 leaders.
鈥淚t cannot be turned into a long, protracted partisan circus that will further divide our country and undermine our democracy,鈥 Gabbard said.
Gabbard is running for the Democratic nomination for president. Although she is considered a longshot candidate, she recently qualified for the October debate in Ohio.
Gabbard is now one of 223 House Democrats who support impeachment, according a New York Times . Gabbard’s Hawaii House colleague, U.S. Rep. Ed Case, is also in favor of an impeachment inquiry as are U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono.
