Nunes Blasts Impeachment Inquiry as a 'Spectacle Doing Great Damage to Our Country' in Opening Statement
House Intelligence Committee ranking member Rep. Devin Nunes of California tore into the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry on Wednesday, calling it a “spectacle doing great damage to our country.”
In his opening statement, the Republican argued that the impeachment inquiry, focused on the delay of Ukrainian aid, is just the latest attempt by Democrats to try to unseat President Donald Trump.
First came special counsel Robert Mueller‘s investigation, which determined the Trump campaign had not colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential race.
Next followed the charge by Democratic lawmakers and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff of California that Trump had somehow obstructed Mueller’s investigation.
Nunes contended that the Democrats are staging their latest attempt to take out Trump, telling the first two witnesses who testified publicly — acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor and State Department official George Kent — that they have been “cast in a low-rent sequel” to the Mueller probe.
“What we will witness today is a televised theatrical performance staged by the Democrats,” Nunes said.
Rep. Devin Nunes addresses William Taylor and George Kent: “It seems you agreed witting or unwittingly to participate in a drama, but the main performance — the Russia hoax — has ended and you’ve been cast in the low rent Ukrainian sequel.” https://t.co/Bo1rTmUzkY pic.twitter.com/BGyq5wFZGU
— ABC News (@ABC) November 13, 2019
“Ambassador Taylor and Mr. Kent, I’d like to welcome you here, I’d like to congratulate you for passing the Democrats star-chamber auditions held for the last weeks in the basement of the Capitol. It seems you agreed, witting or unwittingly to participate in a drama,” the congressman continued.
“The main performance, the Russia hoax, has ended and you have been cast in the low-rent Ukrainian sequel.”
Nunes chastised the “politicized bureaucracy” for hurting Americans’ faith in their government.
“By undermining the president, who they are supposed to be serving, the elements of the FBI, the Department of Justice, and now the State Department, have lost the confidence of millions of Americans, who believe that their vote should count for something.”
“It will take years, if not decades, to restore faith in these institutions,” he said.
“This spectacle is doing great damage to our country”: Nunes says officials in FBI, Justice Department & State Department “have lost the confidence of millions of Americans” and it will “take years, if not decades, to restore faith in these institutions” https://t.co/O6ybmtHEg0 pic.twitter.com/m3dR1dcYbH
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 13, 2019
“This spectacle is doing great damage to our country,” Nunes argued. “It’s nothing more than an impeachment process in search of a crime.”
The Californian also accused the Democrats of wanting to avoid addressing three important questions during their impeachment inquiry, The Daily Caller reported.
“First, what is the full extent of the Democrats prior coordination with the whistleblower and who else did the whistleblower coordinate this effort with?” Nunes asked.
“Second, what is the full extent of Ukraine’s election meddling against the Trump campaign? And third, why did Burisma hire Hunter Biden and what did he do for them and did his position affect any U.S. Government actions under the Obama Administration?”
Nunes noted that Schiff has denied most of the witnesses requested by the Republicans on the Intelligence Committee, including former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden and the whistleblower whose complaint launched the investigation.
In 2016, then-Vice President Biden demanded the prosecutor investigating the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings be fired or $1 billion in U.S. aid would not be released. Hunter Biden held a lucrative position on the board of directors for Burisma at the time.
“They are trying to impeach the president for inquiring about Hunter Biden’s activities,” Nunes said, “yet they refused our request to hear from Biden himself.”
The Trump administration released $400 million in U.S. aid to Ukraine in mid-September and the Ukraine government had not opened an investigation into Joe and Hunter Biden.
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