Democrats' latest impeachment hook has drawn in at least one former skeptic, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii.
Gabbard, the last Democratic presidential primary candidate to join in supporting the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, issued a statement Friday:
"Up to this point, I have been opposed to pursuing impeachment because it will further divide our already badly divided country," she wrote on her official 2020 campaign website.
"However, after looking carefully at the transcript of the conversation with Ukrainian President, the whistleblower complaint, the Inspector General memo, and President Trump’s comments about the issue, unfortunately, I believe that if we do not proceed with the inquiry, it will set a very dangerous precedent. Future presidents, as well as anyone in positions of power in the government, will conclude that they can abuse their position for personal gain, without fear of accountability or consequences."
Gabbard did admit, "we can’t allow a protracted impeachment process to further divide this country and distract from important issues that must be at the center of the debate in this campaign," but she denounced a presidential "abuse of power."
"If we allow the president to abuse his or her power, then our society will rot from top down," she continued. "We will turn into a Banana Republic, where people in positions of power — from the president all the way down to the traffic cop — will feel it's OK to abuse their power with no consequences.
"This is not the kind of country that any of us want to see.
"So it is unfortunate, but necessary, that I'm speaking in support of the inquiry into the president's alleged abuse of power in relation to his interactions with Ukraine leaders. This inquiry must be swift, thorough, and narrowly focused. It cannot be turned into a long, protracted partisan circus that will further divide our country and undermine our democracy."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.