Republicans threaten to oust Nancy Pelosi if she impeaches Donald Trump again
Republicans have threatened to oust Speaker Nancy Pelosi if she tries to impeach Donald Trump for a second time.
Democrats have suggested that impeaching the president or Attorney General William Barr, as a delaying tactic to prevent the Senate confirming the president’s Supreme Court nominee.
Mr Trump is shortly expected to name a female nominee to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s vacant seat.
Ms Pelosi would not rule out the move when she appeared on ABC’s “This Week” and said, “We have our options. We have arrows in our quiver that I’m not about to discuss right now.”
Now House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy says he would introduce a motion to remove Pelosi if she acted.
Any “motion to vacate” the speaker’s chair would need Mr McCarthy and Republicans to secure a majority of House members to oust Ms Pelosi.
Republicans currently hold only 198 seats, versus 232 for Democrats.
“The president is supposed to move forward and they will. The Senate is supposed to take the action and they will, it’s their constitutional right and they are following through,” the California Republican told reporters on Wednesday.
“And I will make you this one promise, listening to the Speaker on television this weekend, if she tries to move for an impeachment based upon the president following the Constitution, I think there will be a move on the floor to no longer have the question of her being Speaker.
“She may think she has a quiver, we do too.”
Pelosi and Democrats have angrily criticised Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s commitment to a vote on Mr Trump’s nominee.
Such a move would overturn the 2016 precedent McConnell set in blocking the confirmation of Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland.
Republicans have argued that in this case the circumstances are different as the Senate and White House are controlled by the same party.
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