House Republican leaders have made no secret of the fact that they intend to move forward with their impeachment inquiry targeting President Joe Biden. But given the fact that GOP officials haven’t uncovered any incriminating evidence against the Democrat, the question is why in the world they’re doing this.
When then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy got the ball rolling on the inquiry a few months ago, the California congressman came up with a relatively detailed pitch to justify the partisan move, though a Washington Post analysis found that his claims amounted to little more than “exaggerations, irrelevancies, and dishonesty.”
So, if the official explanation is dubious, what’s the real reason?
There are a variety of factors at play, though USA Today published a report overnight that included an important on-the-record quote from a GOP lawmaker.
For what it’s worth, Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, one of [Donald] Trump’s most vocal supporters in the House, has not shied away from pushing for Biden’s impeachment in part to play politics. If Trump, who has been impeached twice, is the 2024 Republican nominee, Nehls said he wants to give Trump “a little bit of ammo to fire back” and say Biden has also been impeached.
The Texan’s candor was welcome. Indeed, Nehls, apparently indifferent to appearances, effectively said the quiet part loud: He’s looking ahead to the 2024 election, and he wants to muddy the waters: Trump was impeached, so he wants Republicans to be able to accurately tell voters that Biden was too.
In this framing, merit is irrelevant. What matters is partisan tactics and strategies in pursuit of power.
But just as important as Nehls casually helping give away the game is the fact that he’s not the only one. Trump himself sat down with Megyn Kelly in September, and when the subject of impeachment came up, the former president said, “They did it to me. And had they not done it to me, I think, and nobody officially said this, but I think…
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