House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Tuesday that House Democrats were launching an official impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
The inquiry was driven by reports of the President's conversation with the president of Ukraine about investigating his political opponent, former VP Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter, and the timing of the President's decision to delay hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to that country.
Pelosi announced the move following a closed-door discussion with Democrats, saying the President had betrayed his oath of office, national security, and the integrity of elections. "The President must be held accountable. Nobody is above the law." She called it a "sad day."
On CNN, Republican Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) advised Democrats to take a breath and not pronounce Senate, then investigate where are still charges, not established facts.
The President, for his part, has agreed to release what he says is an unredacted transcript of his phone call with the Ukrainian president.
Following Pelosi's announcement, the President issued a series of tweets calling the effort another witch hunt.
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Fox News contributor Steve Hilton said the impeachment effort is all about the Democrat's hatred of Trump.
Fox News preempted The Five at 5 p.m. to air a special report on the announcement hosted by Bret Baier.
"In a far departure from all of the work and results of this President, House Democrats have destroyed any chances of legislative progress for the people of this country by continuing to focus all their energy on partisan political attacks," White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement." Their attacks on the President and his agenda are not only partisan and pathetic, they are in dereliction of their Constitutional duty. "The Trump Administration will continue to be vigorous in laying out the facts and standing up for the many forgotten men and women who elected him."
