Democrats and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have failed on her promise to stay away from impeaching President Donald Trump unless there was "something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan," but her promise was one everyone could actually agree on, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday.
"I imagine almost everybody in America believes that impeachment is so divisive but if we were to do it, it has to be compelling, overwhelming, and bipartisan," McCarthy told reporters during statements made while members of the House Intelligence Committee were voting, along party lines, to advance their report on the impeachment inquiry on to the Judiciary Committee. "On those three issues...they have failed each one."
However, he said, "that has not stopped them."
Meanwhile, rather than doing the work to keep the country safe, the Intelligence Committee has "become the Impeachment Committee," said McCarthy, and its chairman, Adam Schiff, "has a hard time with the truth."
"Adam has made his mind up long before," said McCarthy. "He just didn't have the proof so he needed to write his own story. If you read his report, he only picks what he wants and he still does not have anything overwhelming, compelling, or bipartisan, but that does not stop him from continuing to make items up."
McCarthy also slammed Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, saying the proceedings are now heading to a group headed by a lawmaker who sought votes for the gavel by promising that he would be the "strongest member to lead a potential impeachment."
There have been many Democrats who have been honest about wanting to remove Trump from office, and months ago, two-thirds of the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee voted in favor of a push by Rep. Al Green, said McCarthy.
"This is exactly what Alexander Hamilton warned us about," McCarthy said. "Unfortunately, we now have a majority solely divided on one goal (where) one goal harms the entire nation. The speaker said it. Very divisive."
Meanwhile, many important pieces of legislation, such as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, are not being discussed, said McCarthy.