‘It’s the exact same thing they did to him four years ago…’
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) The decision by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to withhold the articles of impeachment from the Senate could have been politically motivated, said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
Pelosi has delayed sending the House’s articles of impeachment against Trump to the Senate in order to help former Vice President Joe Biden and hurt socialist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, McCarthy explained Sunday on Fox News.
The “dirty little secret” is that “the Iowa caucus is on Feb. 3,” McCarthy told host Maria Bartiromo. “Bernie Sanders is in first place. And what this does is, this benefits Joe Biden.”
Sanders is one of several senators running in the primary race who will likely be called away in the final weeks of the Iowa campaign to perform their constitutional duty in a Senate impeachment trial.
“He will be stuck in a chair, because Nancy Pelosi held the papers, different than what she said to the American public why she had to move so urgently,” McCarthy said.
Biden would only be called away if subpoenaed to testify about his role in the Ukraine conspiracy that Democrats used as pretense to impeach President Donald Trump. However, the GOP majority seems more keen to press for a quick dismissal without subpoenaing additional witnesses.
McCarthy accused Pelosi of doing what the Democratic National Committee did to Sanders during the 2016 race by intentionally rigging the primary to push him out and give the inside track to eventual nominee Hillary Clinton.
“She told the American public it was urgent. She had to move so fast,” McCarthy said.
“The only reason why she should be—that she is doing this that no one is talking about—it is harming Bernie Sanders … who could win Iowa and propel himself to be the nominee,” he continued. “It’s the exact same thing they did to him four years ago.”
Although Biden, long the frontrunner, is considered the “safe” alternative among many Democrats—despite being prone to gaffes and scandals—the politically radical Sanders has taken the lead in fundraising and in several polls.
Last week, a new Des Moines Register/CNN poll revealed that Sanders was in first place, with Warren trailing behind him in second, Buttigieg in third, and Biden in fourth.
“There’s no denying that this is a good poll for Bernie Sanders. He leads, but it’s not an uncontested lead,” said pollster J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., which conducted the poll. “He’s got a firmer grip on his supporters than the rest of his compatriots.”
Following McCarthy’s statement, other GOP leaders echoed his theory, including Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who questioned her motives during a speech on the Senate floor.
“With Speaker Pelosi facing increased backlash from members of her own party, including rank-and-file Democrats, you can’t help but wonder who is winning this game that she’s playing,” Cornyn noted.
“… It’s remarkable that Democrats’ effort to impeach a president of the opposing party could end up having a negative impact on the presidential candidates in their own,” he said.
Pelosi is expected to relay the articles to the Senate as early as Tuesday, but given her history of backpedaling on impeachment-related matters, it remains uncertain what the next move will be.
Liberty Headlines’ Ben Sellers contributed to this report.