More than half of Democrats in the House now support launching an impeachment inquiry against President Trump.
Out of the 235 voting members, 118 now support an inquiry, the number being pushed over the edge Thursday morning after Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida penned an op-ed in the Sun Sentinel announcing that he believed an impeachment inquiry was already underway.
The number is still far short of that needed to actually begin an inquiry against the president, and although Democrats hold a majority in the House, many are quite reticent to make the move. Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California has attempted to quell the more eager members’ aspirations, with most of the senior leadership galvanizing behind her.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler of New York has reportedly feuded with Pelosi over the matter, asking her to allow him to launch a formal impeachment inquiry behind closed doors. Despite that, he has denied there is a rift between the two.
Former special counsel Robert Mueller testified before two congressional committees last week. Many Democrats believed there would be some sort of bombshell that would push the needle in the direction of impeachment, although Mueller largely stuck to the already-published details in his 448-page report and appeared shaky and unsure about his answers at times.
After his testimony, Pelosi still did not express support for an inquiry. To launch a formal inquiry, Democrats would need support from 218 lawmakers. Those pushing for an inquiry are still 100 votes shy of that number.
