Biden Breaks Silence on Impeachment, Saying For First Time Trump Must Go
WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said for the first time publicly Wednesday that President Donald Trump has abused the powers of his office and must be impeached.
Speaking to voters in New Hampshire, Biden accused Trump of “shooting holes in the Constitution” when he asked Ukraine, and more recently China, to interfere in the 2020 election, and then refusing to cooperate in the resulting impeachment inquiry.
In a prolonged attack on the president, the former vice president said Trump is “laughing” at those who oppose him and believes the nation “doesn’t have the tools, the power, [or] the political will” to punish him.
“We cannot let him get away with it,” Biden said. “To preserve our Constitution, our democracy, our basic integrity, he should be impeached.”
The candidate went on to say Trump “has indicted himself by obstructing justice, refusing to comply with the congressional inquiry, he’s already convicted himself. In full view of the world and the American people, Donald Trump has violated his oath of office, betrayed this nation and committed impeachable acts.”
“Trump will do anything to get re-elected, including violating the most basic forms of democracy. It’s stunning, and it’s dangerous,” Biden said.
Later he added, “No president in history has dared to engage in such unimaginable behavior.”
Biden had previously backed a congressional inquiry into a July phone call in which Trump asked Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, for “a favor” of investigating Biden and his son Hunter, who worked for a troubled gas company there.
But his remarks before supporters in Rochester, New Hampshire marked a dramatic escalation in Biden’s response to the issue.
Trump has repeated unfounded assertions that Biden, as vice president, used his office to protect his son from corruption investigations in Ukraine.
Biden on Wednesday again called those theories “lies” and said Trump was peddling them because he fears facing Biden in a general election.
Trump quickly shot back at Biden on Twitter, saying it was “pathetic” to see Biden calling for his impeachment.
“I did nothing wrong,” Trump tweeted. “Joe’s Failing Campaign gave him no other choice!”
But Biden got in the last word, tweeting back, “thanks for watching.”
“Stop stonewalling the Congress. Honor your oath. Respect the Constitution. And speaking of taxpayers, I’ve released 21 years of my tax returns. You?” Biden asked.
Biden closed his remarks in New Hampshire by vowing “we’re not going to let Donald Trump pick the Democratic nominee for president, period.”
“I’m not going to let him get away with it,” Biden said. “He’s picked a fight with the wrong guy.”
