Progressive critics attacked CNN over a Saturday article that highlighted five freshman congresswomen who tipped the scales on impeachment, complaining that voices of color had been omitted.
The piece featured five women who had all flipped seats from red to blue in order to get to Washington, and who had been wary of calls for impeachment until very recently.
These five freshman congresswomen changed history by becoming unlikely leaders on impeachment.https://t.co/vSMWkdn8UH pic.twitter.com/JI8Ejbm7u1
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) September 28, 2019
According to the piece, the reason these particular women were featured was the fact that they were willing to come forward and voice support for impeachment — even though their districts might not back them — in addition to the added credibility they had as veterans of either the military or the intelligence community.
The reason they made their announcement and explained their reasoning as a group, in an op-ed in The Washington Post, is because they had already formed a bond over their national security background — especially the five women: Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, both ex-CIA officers; Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania who was in the Air Force; Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia were Naval officers.
But all critics saw was the fact that these five women were all white, and that they were late to the party with regard to calling for impeachment. (RELATED: Here Are The Democrats Not In Favor Of Impeachment)
Where’s the credit to @RepAlGreen @RepMaxineWaters @IlhanMN @RashidaTlaib?
— David Weissman (@davidmweissman) September 29, 2019
????Brrr it’s cold in here.
????There must be some toros in the atmosphere— Jesse McLaren (@McJesse) September 29, 2019
The story gives these women credit for leading impeachment when in fact they were late in the game followers. If not for the work of women of color, there would have been no impeachment movement for them to glom onto, a fact this story seems to forget.
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) September 29, 2019
This clip is terrible. Not only are these women not at the forefront of impeachment, they actively shaded and condescended towards the black and brown women who have actually been fighting for the good of our nation. This is a truly terrible clip.
— X (@XLNB) September 29, 2019
ANY.
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) September 29, 2019
.@RepMaxineWaters was the leader on impeachment!
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) September 29, 2019
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced last week her plan to move forward with an impeachment inquiry, but she stopped short of holding a vote on the floor to open that inquiry.