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| After Mueller Statement, More 2020 Democrats Call for Impeachment | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Robert S. Mueller III’s statement on Wednesday, in which he reiterated the conclusions of his investigation and declined to clear President Trump, seemed to open a dam in the Democratic presidential field. | Robert S. Mueller III’s statement on Wednesday, in which he reiterated the conclusions of his investigation and declined to clear President Trump, seemed to open a dam in the Democratic presidential field. |
| Within two hours of Mr. Mueller’s remarks, explicit calls for impeachment proceedings against Mr. Trump came from eight of the 23 candidates: Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey; Julián Castro, the former housing secretary; Senator Kamala Harris of California; Mayor Wayne Messam of Miramar, Fla.; Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts; former Representative Beto O’Rourke of Texas; Representative Eric Swalwell of California; and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. | Within two hours of Mr. Mueller’s remarks, explicit calls for impeachment proceedings against Mr. Trump came from eight of the 23 candidates: Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey; Julián Castro, the former housing secretary; Senator Kamala Harris of California; Mayor Wayne Messam of Miramar, Fla.; Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts; former Representative Beto O’Rourke of Texas; Representative Eric Swalwell of California; and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. |
| Two of them, Mr. Booker and Mr. Castro, had not previously called for impeachment. As candidates like Ms. Warren came out in favor of impeachment last month, Mr. Booker said he would reserve judgment until Congress received an unredacted version of Mr. Mueller’s report, telling voters in Nevada, “There’s a lot more investigation that should go on before Congress comes to any conclusions like that.” | Two of them, Mr. Booker and Mr. Castro, had not previously called for impeachment. As candidates like Ms. Warren came out in favor of impeachment last month, Mr. Booker said he would reserve judgment until Congress received an unredacted version of Mr. Mueller’s report, telling voters in Nevada, “There’s a lot more investigation that should go on before Congress comes to any conclusions like that.” |
| On Wednesday, however, he said on Twitter that legislators had “a legal and moral obligation” to pursue impeachment. | On Wednesday, however, he said on Twitter that legislators had “a legal and moral obligation” to pursue impeachment. |
| Mr. Castro had already expressed openness to impeachment, telling CNN last month that it “would be perfectly reasonable for Congress to open up those proceedings.” But he had not said whether he believed it should do so. | Mr. Castro had already expressed openness to impeachment, telling CNN last month that it “would be perfectly reasonable for Congress to open up those proceedings.” But he had not said whether he believed it should do so. |
| In his statement Wednesday morning, Mr. Mueller — who spent nearly two years investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, and the Trump campaign’s and administration’s actions in relation to it — reiterated what he had written in the report he completed last month. | In his statement Wednesday morning, Mr. Mueller — who spent nearly two years investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, and the Trump campaign’s and administration’s actions in relation to it — reiterated what he had written in the report he completed last month. |
| “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” he said. “We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime.” | “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” he said. “We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime.” |
| In a line Democrats seized on, Mr. Mueller said that under Justice Department policy, filing criminal charges against Mr. Trump was never an option — but that the Constitution provided another mechanism. It was a clear reference to impeachment, and Ms. Harris and Ms. Warren both described it as an “impeachment referral.” | In a line Democrats seized on, Mr. Mueller said that under Justice Department policy, filing criminal charges against Mr. Trump was never an option — but that the Constitution provided another mechanism. It was a clear reference to impeachment, and Ms. Harris and Ms. Warren both described it as an “impeachment referral.” |
| In a lengthy email sent to supporters, Mr. Moulton, who this month had already called for impeachment, wrote: “The Mueller investigation has provided the evidence. It’s up to Congress to examine that evidence and pursue justice to its conclusion, whatever that may be, regardless of the political consequences.” | In a lengthy email sent to supporters, Mr. Moulton, who this month had already called for impeachment, wrote: “The Mueller investigation has provided the evidence. It’s up to Congress to examine that evidence and pursue justice to its conclusion, whatever that may be, regardless of the political consequences.” |
| As sitting members of the House, Mr. Moulton and Mr. Swalwell — who said this month that impeachment might be “the only road to save our country” and tweeted pointedly on Wednesday, “Our founders gave us a checks & balances system” — are the only pro-impeachment candidates so far who actually have the power to affect the decision. | As sitting members of the House, Mr. Moulton and Mr. Swalwell — who said this month that impeachment might be “the only road to save our country” and tweeted pointedly on Wednesday, “Our founders gave us a checks & balances system” — are the only pro-impeachment candidates so far who actually have the power to affect the decision. |
| The other sitting representatives in the race are Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who has said she opposes impeachment, and Tim Ryan of Ohio, who did not call for it explicitly on Wednesday but edged about as close to the line as he could without stepping across. | The other sitting representatives in the race are Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who has said she opposes impeachment, and Tim Ryan of Ohio, who did not call for it explicitly on Wednesday but edged about as close to the line as he could without stepping across. |
| “Congress has to get to the bottom of this and unpack it with full transparency,” Mr. Ryan said on Twitter. “The President, no President, is above the law. And it’s Congress’ job to make sure we are true to our founding principle that the President is not a King and must answer to the American people.” | “Congress has to get to the bottom of this and unpack it with full transparency,” Mr. Ryan said on Twitter. “The President, no President, is above the law. And it’s Congress’ job to make sure we are true to our founding principle that the President is not a King and must answer to the American people.” |