Washington - US President Donald Trump has ramped up his
rhetoric on the impeachment inquiry from Democratic lawmakers, taking
to Twitter to label the investigation a "coup" designed to "take away
the power of the people."
"As I learn more and more each day, I am coming to the conclusion
that what is taking place is not an impeachment, it is a COUP," Trump
tweeted late Tuesday.
As I learn more and more each day, I am coming to the conclusion that what is taking place is not an impeachment, it is a COUP, intended to take away the Power of the....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2019
Last week, Democrats in US House of Representatives launched an
impeachment inquiry that centres around a July 25 phone call that
Trump held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In the call, Trump asked Zelensky to potentially open an
investigation into the Republican president's political rival, ex
vice president Joe Biden.
Trump has been using increasingly strong language to lash out at the
Democrats and the inquiry, repeatedly referring to it as "a witch
hunt."
Over the weekend, he tweeted that if he were to be removed from
office through a full impeachment process, that could lead to "civil
war," a remark that drew concern even from members of his own
Republican Party.
On Monday, Trump dubbed the whistleblower whose complaint sparked the
impeachment inquiry a "fake," and also questioned if Democrat Adam
Schiff, the head of the House Intelligence Committee, should be
arrested for treason.