Kevin McCarthy, the Republican Speaker of the House, dropped a bombshell that’s causing a stir within his own party—and it’s not the kind of drama we’d usually expect from the GOP. It’s about impeachment. Specifically, the question of impeaching President Joe Biden. That’s right—McCarthy says he won’t even consider it without a full House vote. So much for those Republicans itching to fast-track the process, huh?
Usually, an impeachment inquiry starts when the full chamber gives it the thumbs up. There’s nothing stopping lawmakers from bypassing that process, but doing so would be a partisan power move, and you can bet it’d catch some serious flak. Remember back in 2019? The Dems toyed with the idea of letting Nancy Pelosi open an inquiry into Trump without a full House vote. McCarthy was one of the loudest voices opposing it then. Fast forward, and he’s sticking by the same rulebook, even when it doesn’t fit the agenda of his more fervent pro-impeachment party members.
Why the hesitation? Because 14 of these Republicans represent swing districts that Biden won in the 2020 election. They’re getting cold feet, wary that an impeachment vote could boomerang on them in the midterms. One Republican even anonymously spilled to Axios: “Impeachment—even talking about it—is not something that we’re looking forward to.”
Hold on, folks, it gets juicier! McCarthy is going on the record to say impeachment is “a serious matter” and not to be used for “political purposes.” Umm, can we just pause and unpack that? Many Republicans have openly admitted that impeaching Biden would be a ploy to drag him through the mud before the 2024 elections. No surprise there, right?
So, if McCarthy’s decree holds, nearly all Republican House members would have to support impeachment to move the process along. All while they’re bandying about claims that Biden has shady business with his son, Hunter—claims that let’s be honest, have been scrutinized to death and never proven.
The White House isn’t having any of it. Officials are outright saying the GOP has “absolutely no grounds for impeaching the president.” And let’s not forget that this same cast of characters is recycling the same old, debunked conspiracy theories just to give Trump a leg up in a potential 2024 run against Biden. Trump himself is banging the impeachment drum loudly, posting on Truth Social that Republicans should “either IMPEACH the BUM or fade into OBLIVION.”
And if you think the public’s buying into this impeachment drama, think again. Recent polling shows that a whopping 56% of voters think an impeachment inquiry into Biden would be nothing more than a “political stunt.” Only 38% think it would be a “serious” investigation.
Bottom line? This looks like another episode of the GOP shooting itself in the foot while attempting to play 4D chess. McCarthy’s trying to appease both sides—his rabid pro-impeachment caucus and the vulnerable swing-district members. But let’s be real: we see right through the charade, and it’s not going to play well for anyone involved.
