House Democrats on Friday pushed back on one of their newest colleagues, who attacked President Trump the previous day by vowing to “impeach the motherf—…
House Democrats on Friday pushed back on one of their newest colleagues, who attacked President Trump the previous day by vowing to “impeach the motherf—r.”
The jarring remarks by liberal freshman firebrand Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) put Democrats on the defensive less than 24 hours after they took control of the House, putting a spotlight on the possible impeachment of Trump instead of Democratic efforts to end the government shutdown and the party’s legislative priorities.
“I have never said that in a public setting. The choice of words is inappropriate,” longtime Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), a member of the Oversight Committee, told The Hill. “We should conduct oversight, which is our responsibility, vigorous oversight, because it’s been lacking the last two years. And I think that we should also wait for Special Counsel [Robert] Mueller’s report to Congress so we can determine what we need to do.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who will lead many of Democrats’ investigations into the Trump administration, also called Tlaib’s comments “inappropriate.”
“One of the things that I’ve said about my committee, I’ve said that we will reclaim civility,» Cummings told reporters in the Capitol. «You cannot accomplish very much of anything unless you have civility and show respect for your colleagues. And I think those kind of comments do not take us in the right direction.”
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, was more succinct: “Everyone should stop this impeachment talk until Mueller comes out with his report.”
Republican leaders quickly pounced on Tlaib’s comments.
House GOP Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) lamented at a press conference that the remarks demonstrated “a real ramp up in rhetoric and name-calling and the kinds of politicization and partisanship that the American people are sick and tired of.
