Washington - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday said she
and other House Democrats "are not there yet" on the question of
impeachment and denied that there are divisions in her caucus on the
question.
Amid reports that some Democrats are pushing for impeachment, while
others are holding back, Pelosi said the caucus is united and just
wants to "follow the facts."
She again said she believes the
president is engaged in a cover-up.
"I do think impeachment is a very divisive place to go," Pelosi told
a news conference when asked about how Democrats plan to proceed. But
she said facts could lead to a situation in which impeachment "is
unavoidable."
Since the conclusion of a report two months ago on an investigation
into Russian meddling in the US presidential election, Democrats have
continued to press the Russia issue, angering President Donald Trump
by issuing subpoenas in an effort to obtain his financial records.
On Wednesday, the president learned of unfavourable court rulings
allowing those efforts to move forward. Trump's legal team is
expected to appeal.
Pelosi described Trump's behaviour on Wednesday, when he walked out
of a White House meeting that was supposed to address infrastructure
spending, as "another temper tantrum."
Trump was unprepared for the meeting, she said, and opted to use a
distraction to draw attention away from the unfavourable court
decisions.
Pelosi also asserted that Trump was unhappy that Democrats haven't
said they will move ahead with impeachment.
The "White House is just crying out for impeachment," she said as
reporters asked about suggestions that Trump would welcome an attempt
to remove him from office because it would give him a chance to play
the role of victim.
Pelosi criticized the way Trump walked out of the meeting as counter
to "the dignity of the office of the president."
She said his
advisers should consider an "intervention," suggesting she believes
he needs help changing his behaviour.
Trump said after the abrupt end of the meeting that he would not
cooperate on policy with the rival Democrats until they stop
investigating him.
In a tweet on Thursday he characterized his demeanour in the meeting
as "calm" and said he knew Democrats would "say I was raging."
He also chided Democrats in Congress to "get the REAL work of the
people done" instead of dwelling on the report by special counsel
Robert Mueller on Russian election interference.
The report concluded there was no conspiracy between Trump or his
presidential campaign and the Russian government to influence the
elections but reached no conclusion on obstruction. Trump and his
allies in Congress have said it was thorough and that it is time to
move on.
dpa