Some Democratic presidential hopefuls who had been cautious in backing impeachment said Wednesday that it’s time to begin the process of ousting President Trump after special counsel Robert Mueller fanned the flames.
Sen. Cory A. Booker said the special counsel’s flat insistence that he couldn’t exonerate Mr. Trump means Congress has no choice but to pursue that path.
“We have one remaining path to ensure justice is served,” the New Jersey Democrat said. “It is our legal and moral obligation to hold those who have committed crimes accountable. It’s clear that the House must begin impeachment proceedings. No one is above the law.”
Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand also joined in.
“It’s time for Republicans and Democrats to begin impeachment hearings and follow the facts wherever they may lead,” the New York Democrat said. “We cannot let this president defy basic accountability measures built into our Constitution.”
But former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, the front-runner in the 2020 polls, remained reluctant. His campaign issued a statement saying it “would certainly be a divisive impeachment process,” but leaving open the possibility that it could be the only option in the end.
Mr. Mueller fueled Democrats’ impeachment verve when he said Justice Department guidelines prevented him from charging the president, but given what he found, he wouldn’t exonerate Mr. Trump either.
The special counsel said the president’s fate is beyond the criminal justice system.
Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, said that was “as close to an impeachment referral as it gets.”
“Robert Mueller could not clear the president, nor could he charge him — so he has handed the matter to Congress, which alone can act to deliver due process and accountability,” Mr. Buttigieg tweeted.
Sen. Kamala D. Harris of California said it would be fair to infer from Mr. Mueller’s statement that, absent the DOJ policy, there would have been indictments returned against the president.
She also said she took the special counsel’s statement as an impeachment referral to Congress.
“We need to start impeachment proceedings. It’s our constitutional obligation,” she tweeted.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who was the first major 2020 contender to explicitly call for impeachment after the Justice Department released Mr. Mueller’s report last month, said his statement Wednesday upped the urgency.
“The Constitution leaves it up to Congress to act — and that’s impeachment,” Ms. Warren tweeted.
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke and former Obama administration official Julián Castro agreed.
“Mueller made clear this morning that his investigation now lays at the feet of Congress. No one is above the law — Congress should begin an impeachment inquiry,” Mr. Castro tweeted.
But there were still some go-slow adherents, including Mr. Biden and Sen. Bernard Sanders, running second in polls behind Mr. Biden.
“Given the reality that we have a president who believes he is above the law, Congress must continue its investigations,” the Vermont independent tweeted.
He said the decision belongs to the House, and if Democrats there choose to open an impeachment inquiry, “I will support their decision.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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