House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Democrats’ mixed messaging on impeachment is proof House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is struggling to maintain control of her party.
Speaking at the Republican’s three-day weekend retreat, the top House Republican said Democrats’ troubles have evolved from intra-party squabbles with liberal freshman.
“They had an internal battle which pretty much became an internal war,” he said. “Now we find that their own committee chairs, they cannot manage what’s going on.”
Mr. McCarthy claimed the Democratic Party has moved so far left that Mrs. Pelosi is now a “moderate” with limited control.
“She has the title but no longer the power to manage the floor,” he said.
Since the Judiciary Committee announced a vote on rules to govern their investigation — which passed in committee Thursday morning — Democrats have offered a variety of descriptions of what work is being done.
Judiciary members call it an impeachment investigation and argue it’s been ongoing for a while. Others either don’t consider it a formal impeachment investigation or believe the committee is just starting to craft one.
Even senior members of leadership have offered mixed messages on the investigation.
Reps. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the judiciary committee, and Jim Jordan said the latest impeachment push is a desperate play for Democrats.
“The reason want to do this … the reason they want to change the rules is because nothing else has worked for them,” Mr. Jordan said.
Mr. McCarthy is confident that the Democrat’s work on investigating President Trump will be a boon for GOP House candidates in 2020.
He pointed out that Republicans only need to flip 19 seats to retake the majority — less than Democrats needed going into the 2018 election — and there are 31 Democrats in vulnerable districts the president carried in 2016.
“Tell me, how are Democrats going to go back and ask for reelection on what they have achieved?” Mr. McCarthy said. “All they have achieved is investigations that have gone nowhere.”
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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