Democrats split on impeachment as controversy rages over Mueller report

A split has emerged in the Democratic Party over whether to launch impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump in the wake of the Mueller report. 

Leading Democrats appeared at pains to play down the likelihood of success, instead favouring the 2020 election to remove the president from office.

However a group of prominent left-wing congressmen went public with calls for Mr Trump’s removal from office, saying anything less would set a “dangerous precedent” and “imperil the nation”. 

Republicans in turn framed their political opponents as being desperate to topple Mr Trump despite the report not recommending any new criminal charges. 

Mr Trump dismissed the “Crazy Mueller Report” on Friday, lashing out at statements in the document that he called “fabricated and totally untrue”. 

He defended his decision not to testify to Mr Mueller, adding that some comments about him in the report were “total bulls— and only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad)”. 

On Thursday he uncharacteristically declined the chance to answer reporters’ questions while leaving the White House for his Mar-a-Lago golf resort. 

The political implications of the 448-page report by Robert Mueller, the special counsel who investigated Russian election meddling and Mr Trump’s alleged obstruction of justice, are still unclear. 

Mr Mueller found that no criminal conspiracy had taken place between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin in 2016 presidential campaign in volume one of his long-awaited report.

In volume two he decided not to make a decision on whether Mr Trump had committed a crime in obstructing the investigation, pointedly saying the president was not “exonerated” but leaving that call to others. Mr Trump’s Justice Department decided not to bring charges. 

With virtually no chance of Mr Trump facing criminal proceedings over the report, the focus has turned to the political fallout – whether the findings will sway any voters and how Congress will act. 

For months Democrats have been insisting they must wait for Mr Mueller’s conclusions before any decisions on impeachment, the process of removing the president from office through Congress, were made. 

With that moment now passed, many leading Democrats declined to call for impeachment, instead criticising the president’s actions in broad terms and his attorney general’s handling of the report.

Various congressional investigations into Mr Trump’s presidency by the Democrats are already underway on Capitol Hill.

Steny Hoyer, the second most senior Democrat in the House of Representatives, said: "Based on what we have seen to date, going forward on impeachment is not worthwhile at this point. Very frankly, there is an election in 18 months and the American people will make a judgment."

Other leading Democrats took a similar stance. Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, the two most senior Democrats in the House and Senate, did not call for impeachment. 

All but one of the party’s 2020 presidential candidates, Elizabeth Warren, also refrained from backing the move.

Their hesitancy appeared to be based on the low chances of success – two-thirds of the US Senate would need to vote in favour of impeachment for it to be binding – and concerns of a political backlash if they appear unduly vindictive.  However a handful of left-wing Democrats took the opposite view.

Three prominent new congresswomen – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib – called for impeachment proceedings to being. 

Maxine Waters, the Democrat congresswomen from California who regularly clashes with the president, was also unambiguous in her calls for impeachment. 

“At this point, Congress’s failure to impeach is complacency in the face of the erosion of our democracy and constitutional norms,” Ms Waters said.

“Congress’s failure to impeach would set a dangerous precedent and imperil the nation as it would vest too much power in the executive branch and embolden future officeholders to further debase the US presidency, if that’s even possible.”

A conference call between the Democratic leadership and congressmen was reportedly scheduled for Monday, when a route forward may become clearer. 

For now, the House Judiciary Committee, controlled by the Democrats, has issued a subpoena for the “complete and unredacted” Mueller report. 

Mr Trump’s Justice Department has said that congressmen will not be allowed to view redactions made to protect grand jury testimony.