Byron York: Pelosi's impeachment threat to 'distract' Senate is 'way out there'
"Obsession" author examines the Democrats' attempts to remove President Trump from office.
In December 2019, a reporter asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi., D-Calif., why she and her Democratic caucus were rushing to pass articles of impeachment against President Trump.
“Speed?” responded an incredulous Pelosi. “It’s been going on for 22 months, OK? Two-and-a- half years, actually … I think we’re not moving with speed. Was it two-and-a-half years ago that they initiated the Mueller investigation? It’s not about speed. It’s about urgency.”
Pelosi confirmed what many Republicans believed: that the impeachment wasn’t about Ukraine or a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
TRUMP HITS BACK AT PELOSI'S 25TH AMENDMENT MOVE, SAYS HER REAL TARGET IS 'SLEEPY JOE'
Indeed, the formal impeachment of the president, which predictably failed in the Senate, was a continuation of a years-long effort to remove Trump from office. And this Democratic effort began with the roots of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
More from Opinion
I examine the Democrats’ obsessive campaign to impeach the president on this week’s episode of my podcast, “Newt’s World.” My guest is Byron York, a Fox News contributor and the chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner.
York is also the author of the new, must-read book, “Obsession: Inside the Washington Establishment's Never-Ending War on Trump,” which we discuss in depth.
As York asserts, we should view the formal impeachment proceedings and Mueller’s investigation — including the events of the 2016 campaign and the early months of Trump’s presidency that led to it — as one continuous push to oust the president from the White House.
Remarkably, as early as April 2016 — before Trump was even the Republican nominee for president — Politico published a piece headlined “Could Trump Be Impeached Shortly After He Takes Office?”
And then in November, just three days after Trump won the election, The New York Times’ David Brooks devoted an entire column to preparing for “the post-Trump era,” concluding that “the guy will probably resign or be impeached within a year.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR OPINION NEWSLETTER
From there, talk of impeachment never ceased within the political and cultural establishment, especially among Democrats in Congress. They were determined to remove Trump; the only disagreements were over how to get there.
This was clear after Mueller released his final report, which showed no evidence of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Republicans thought the ordeal was finally over. Democrats had nothing. But little did the American people know that Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and others were concocting a new accusation against the president based on Ukraine.
This is the zombie impeachment: No matter how many times you shoot it, the monster keeps getting back up. And York believes that, if Trump is reelected next month, then Democrats will try to find another way to remove the president with the same rabid intensity.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
I hope you will listen to this week’s episode to hear from one of the best-sourced reporters in Washington on the inside story of the Democratic campaign to remove President Trump from office.
I also hope you will listen to my next episode, set to air Wednesday. As Part Two of my series on the 2020 election, I will discuss rebuilding the greatest economy in Trump’s America with Andy Puzder, author of “The Capitalist Comeback.”
To read, hear, and watch more of Newt Gingrich’s commentary, visit Gingrich360.com.
Best of Opinion
Get the recap of top opinion commentary and original content throughout the week.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.