Majority of Democrats in the U.S. House support indictment

More than two dozen Democrats have expressed support for an imputation investigation since former Special Adviser Robert Mueller testified on July 24 about his investigation of Trump and Russia's interference in the 2016 election.

Washington:

A majority of Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are now in favor of launching impeachment proceedings against Republican President Donald Trump, after a California Legislature became Friday the 118th Democrat to have called for the process to begin.

"In recent years, our country has seen and heard things from this president that have no place in our democracy, "said Representative Salud Carbajal in a statement accusing Trump of"criminal" behavior.

"I think it's time to open an impeachment investigation against President Donald Trump," Carbajal said.

Democrats have a 235-member majority in the House of Representatives. More than two dozen Democrats have expressed support for an imputation investigation since former Special Adviser Robert Mueller testified on July 24 about his investigation of Trump and Russia's interference in the 2016 election.

But the total of 118 is still a long way from the 218 House votes needed to approve a recall resolution, and opinion polls continue to show that voters are divided on this issue. The chamber is currently on summer leave and will not return until 9 September.

A majority of her pro-impeach caucus could put renewed pressure on Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who opposes impeachment as a politically risky move, unless investigators find convincing evidence of Trump's misconduct that could unify public opinion.

In a statement released on Friday, Pelosi did not indicate that she was about to change her cautious approach. Instead, she set out in great detail her strategy of having Democrats continue their investigation of the president, while appearing in court to gain access to more evidence.

"Democrats in Congress continue to legislate, investigate and plead," said Pelosi. "The president will be held accountable."

Democrats opposed to removal say the best way to remove Trump is to defeat him in 2020, when he will be re-elected. Some Democrats worry that too much focus on impeachment could overshadow other issues such as health care and threaten the re-election of Democrats who have prevented Republicans from gaining seats in regions where many voters oppose impeachment.

Trump denied any wrongdoing and stated that it had been justified by the Mueller report, but the special advocate made it clear in his testimony before Congress that this was not the case.

In his report, Mueller described in detail the important contact the Trump team had with Russia during the 2016 election campaign and explained how Trump had tried to prevent Mueller's investigation.

While he stopped before concluding that Trump had committed a crime or that his collaborators had conspired with Moscow, Mueller had not clarified it and had indicated that it was up to Congress to decide the next steps.

The Democrats in the House Judiciary Committee recently turned their Trump surveillance investigation into a six-month surveillance investigation. They then asked a federal judge to consult Mueller's grand jury testimony to determine whether or not to recommend impeachment against Trump.

Despite ongoing impeachment appeals, there is no outward sign of revolt among Democratic lawmakers regarding Pelosi's behavior, perhaps in part because she said that lawmakers are free "to espouse their own position and criticize me."

The Democrats seem generally satisfied with her performance as a speaker, especially her ability to stand up to Trump day in and day out.
Pelosi agreed with the legislator's defense that Trump attacked in recent weeks and sometimes retaliated. The defense of his hometown of Baltimore against Trump's criticism that it was a " rodent infested mess, "said Thursday Pelosi, claiming the president's son-in-law was a"slum lord."