House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may think impeachment doesn’t go far enough to punish President Donald Trump, as she reportedly said Tuesday that she wants to “see him in prison.”
The Democratic California representative thinks that Democrats should be biding their time on any impeachment proceedings and waiting for the day when they can successfully incarcerate the president for his supposed offenses, Politico reported Wednesday.
The remark was allegedly part of a heated conversation between New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who is hell-bent on initiating impeachment proceedings, and Pelosi, who is urging caution. Nadler even wants to bring Watergate whistleblower and former White House counsel John Dean back to Congress to discuss whether the subtext of the Mueller report is actually encouraging impeachment. (RELATED: Pelosi Says She Will ‘Pray’ For Trump After Surprise Presser Blasting Democrats)
U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY) arrives for a House Democratic party caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. Jan. 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Pelosi has another plan, according to Politico.
“I don’t want to see him impeached, I want to see him in prison,” Pelosi said, according to Politico, quoting “multiple Democratic sources familiar with the meeting.”
Pelosi allegedly continues to spar with Nadler and other Democratic committee leaders over whether to proceed with impeachment or merely continue with investigations. Pelosi is trying to assert her authority as the top Democrat with an increasingly aggressive Nadler, according to Politico.
Nadler and other committee chairmen were again reportedly pushing for impeachment Tuesday night, suggesting his committee announce its intention to proceed in this fashion, when Pelosi again told him to cease and desist at this time. (RELATED: Pelosi Says Trump ‘Is Goading Us To Impeach Him’)
The alleged battle between Pelosi and other Democratic leaders is raging over whether impeachment is advisable when it has little chance of success in the Senate and lacks any real public support. Politico sources insist Pelosi doesn’t believe it would be politically smart to proceed with impeachment under those circumstances. Other Democrats, like Nadler, are apparently unconcerned about these dynamics. Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green is defying Pelosi and vowing to force impeachment proceedings.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks at her weekly news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 4, 2019. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
Other Democrats reportedly told Politico that Pelosi’s comment about Trump going to prison is consistent with her belief that the president is unfit for office and should be the subject of an intervention by family and staff. Pelosi has also said that Trump is “not worth” an impeachment proceeding.
The official line about the discussion from Pelosi’s office suggested the speaker and other committee chairmen “had a productive meeting about the state of play with the Mueller report.”
“They agreed to keep all options on the table,” Pelosi spokeswoman Ashley Etienne told Politico. “And continue to move forward with an aggressive hearing and legislative strategy, as early as next week, to address the president’s corruption and abuses of power uncovered in the report.”
The Daily Caller has reached out to Pelosi’s office for clarification and is awaiting a reply.