Trump could be wrong in every particular. Even if he is right about Hunter Biden’s business dealings or Ukraine’s usefulness in providing additional information about 2016 election meddling, his comments and Rudy Giuliani’s role may indeed be inappropriate. But as Democrats investigating their likely 2020 election opponent should be able to see, not all desire to investigate a political rival is inherently corrupt.
In impeaching Trump, however, House Democrats don’t necessarily have to prove corrupt intent for themselves. Most of them assume and earnestly believe that is Trump’s motivation in this and many other matters. An impeachment inquiry would allow them to make that case without relying on measured or ambiguous reports from the likes of Mueller. But they will be viewed as less objective narrators than Mueller. Charges of political bias against Democratic lawmakers will be less farfetched than Trump attacks on the Russia special counsel (and even those had some impact).
Impeachment is broadly unpopular, especially with swing voters who helped Democrats win Congress in 2018 and who will likely decide the next presidential election. Democrats have to hope they can either do more to swing public opinion on this question than Mueller ever did or convince enough Senate Republicans not named Romney who are uncomfortable with Trump’s behavior, without damaging Joe Biden or sucking up oxygen that would more profitably be absorbed by another possible Democratic nominee in the process.
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