CA-Gov: Gavin Newsom (D) Says It's Time For Congress To Impeach Trump

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Tuesday June 13, 2017 · 10:30 PM PDT

2017/06/13 · 22:30

This is why I back him:

As impeachment talk heats up in Washington, the four Democrats running to be California’s next governor are divided on whether Congress should launch an effort to impeach President Donald Trump.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Delaine Eastin, the former state superintendent of public instruction, said in response to inquiries from the Bay Area News Group that they believed Congress should begin impeachment proceedings against Trump.

But Antonio Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles, and state Treasurer John Chiang are sounding more cautious notes, saying they need additional evidence first.

The furor over “the I-word” grew this week as Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, circulated a draft resolution impeaching Trump for obstruction of justice among his House colleagues on Monday. Sherman argues that Trump deserves to be impeached for interfering in the FBI investigation of Russian influence on the 2016 election.

He faces long odds: Removing a president through impeachment requires a majority vote in the House of Representatives and a two-thirds vote in the Senate, both of which are controlled by Republicans. And so far only one other member of Congress, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, has publicly supported the effort to write articles of impeachment now.

But the proposal is finding support on the campaign trail. Newsom, who has led in polls for the 2018 governor’s race, backs the idea of starting impeachment proceedings, his campaign says.

“He does believe it is time to pursue impeachment,” said spokesman Dan Newman. “He thinks that while impeachment should never be casually invoked as a political tactic, President Trump’s actions are so egregious and his rhetoric is so deceitful that we should begin the process to obtain the facts and the truth.”

Eastin also endorsed impeachment.

“I absolutely support members of Congress drawing up Articles of Impeachment against President Trump,” she said in an email, citing what she said were Trump’s conflicts of interest, his travel ban, his campaign’s collusion with Russia, and his firing of FBI Director James Comey. “We cannot allow one petty man to destroy the democracy that so many have given their lives to defend.”

While Villagrosa and Chiang take a more cautious approach, calls for impeachment may be a factor into why Newsom continues to be the frontrunner:

Former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, who currently serves as California's lieutenant governor, is in the lead in the 2018 state gubernatorial race, according to a recent UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll.

The poll was conducted between May 4-29 and sampled 885 voters statewide.

By IGS's estimate, Newsom has the support of 22 percent of California's voters, followed by Democratic former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who was the choice of 17 percent of voters.

As the IGS found, Newsom is heavily backed by supporters in Northern California, by white voters, and by constituents whose households earn $100,000 or more. Villaraigosa finds support in the Latino community (he is favored by 42 percent of the Latino vote), in Southern California voters, and in those who earn $40,000 or less annually.

If I were Newsome, I would spend more time in Southern California and with Latino voters. But Newsom is owning the narrative of California’s full-on Resistance to Trumpism and it’s a better campaign strategy than a cautious narrative that doesn’t take advantage of voter momentum. If you’re like me and you support Newsom’s candidacy, click here to donate and get involved with Newsom’s campaign.

Poll
46 votes Show Results
Which Democrat do you support for Governor of California?

Gavin Newsom

Antonio Villaraigosa

John Chiang

Delaine Eastin

46 votes Vote Now!
Which Democrat do you support for Governor of California?

Gavin Newsom

37 votes

Antonio Villaraigosa

9%

4 votes

John Chiang

7%

3 votes

Delaine Eastin

4%

2 votes

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