House Majority Whip James Clyburn on Tuesday said he hopes the House can wrap up its impeachment inquiry into President Trump by Christmas, but that lawmakers can avoid bumping up into the presidential primary calendar even if things slip into early 2020.
“With every passing day, I think about those old adages. Haste makes waste is one of them. Let’s not be hasty here,” the South Carolina Democrat said on CNN’s “New Day.”
“I would hope it’s before Christmas, but it may be after Thanksgiving as well,” he said. “I’m not going to put a timeline on it, but that’s kind of where I feel.”
He said even if things slip into next year, it still wouldn’t bump into the presidential primary schedule. The Iowa caucuses are scheduled for Feb. 3.
Mr. Clyburn, who is African-American, also responded to President Trump’s referring to the impeachment process as a “lynching” on Tuesday.
“The president has always been pretty loose with his words, and this is another indication of that,” the congressman said. “I really believe this man is prone to inflammatory statements, and that is one word that no president ought to apply to himself.”
Mr. Trump had said Republicans could impeach a Democratic president someday, even with a slim majority, “without due process or fairness or any legal rights.”
“All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here - a lynching. But we will WIN!” he said on Twitter.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.