The Republican investigation into the impeachment against President Joe Biden is now officially underway. Kevin McCarthy had originally said that the House Speaker would require a vote in the House, but changed his mind when citing Pelosi’s precedent.
McCarthy posed some pressing questions about the investigation in a sparring match with the media.
Kevin McCarthy calls out a reporter for nonchalantly dismissing concerns about Joe Biden’s involvement in Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings.
“Do you have any concern?”
“Have you asked the White House ANY questions?!”
“You can’t answer that?” pic.twitter.com/qWEJRjym7X
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 14, 2023
REPORTER: I can’t answer that.
MCCARTHY: You can’t answer that? Do you believe when they said the president went on conference calls? Do you believe that happened?
REPORTER: That’s what the testimony says.
MCCARTHY: Okay, do you believe the president went to Cafe Milano and had dinner with the clients of Hunter Biden who believes he got those clients because he was selling the brand?
REPORTER: That’s what the testimony says.
MCCARTHY: Okay, do you believe Hunter Biden when you saw the video of him driving a Porsche, that he got $143,000 to buy that Porsche the next day? Do you believe the $3 million from the Russian oligarch that was transferred to the shell companies that the Bidens controlled after the dinner from Cafe Milano took place?
REPORTER: That’s what the testimony says.
A Reuters poll confirms McCarthy’s claims, which is bad for Biden. The poll results show that 41 percent of respondents are in favor of an impeachment inquiry, while 24 percent remain unsure.
NEW: Reuters Poll on Americans’ attitudes toward Biden Impeachment Inquiry
– Support: 41%
– Opposed: 35%
– Unsure: 24%— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 18, 2023
Those are really great numbers for Republicans, and somewhat unexpected. The last thing the GOP needed to do was start this process out in a hole. There are always fears that impeachment will raise a president’s approval, which happened regarding Bill Clinton, though it should be noted that Democrats went on to lose the next national election.
There is a big gap between the 41 percent of Republicans who support the investigation and the 24 percent who are still uncertain. If Republicans continue down this road, it is possible to gain a majority.
Biden’s low approval rating has taken a toll. One would think that President Obama’s “rallying round” moment was now. It is clear that the White House tried to achieve this by portraying impeachment as a baseless investigation. But the narrative doesn’t work.
Returning to McCarthy, this should offer a bit of vindication for him. As I suggested in several past articles, he is playing this correctly. Slow and steady wins the race, and rushing into an impeachment vote would have done nothing but hand Biden a win.
The goal should be to draw this out as long as possible heading into the 2024 election. You aren’t going to get a conviction in the Senate even if articles of impeachment are passed. The best way to turn public opinion against Biden is through a thorough and methodical impeachment inquiry.
McCarthy’s presence is not required by Republicans. It is the process that matters, and if you rush through this process, it will be less effective.
