Former President Donald Trump is maintaining a distance from the impeachment inquiry targeting President Biden while launching verbal attacks against him. Trump’s focus appears to be more on erasing his own impeachments rather than pursuing Biden’s impeachment. According to advisers, he isn’t the primary force behind the Biden impeachment inquiry on Capitol Hill and has been relatively subdued about the actions of House GOP leaders at times.
In the 2024 presidential campaign, where he leads in Republican polling, Trump has been relentless in making exaggerated or unverified accusations against Biden, casting doubts on his family’s finances, a subject that House Republicans are now investigating with an impeachment inquiry. However, Trump hasn’t been as assertive in advocating for impeachment, reflecting the precarious nature of the House GOP strategy even within the party.
Regarding the potential impeachment of Biden, Trump stated in an interview, “That’s up to them if they want to do impeachment or impeachment inquiry… I have no idea whether they will or not.” He seems more preoccupied with his own impeachments and has conveyed to Speaker Kevin McCarthy that he desires to have them formally annulled.
As he seeks a return to the White House as a twice-impeached former president facing criminal charges, Trump has emphasized what actions he would take against his political opponents if he regains power. He has promised to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Biden.
Trump has been privately expressing discontent over the absence of criminal charges against Biden and his son, Hunter, more than the House Republicans’ reluctance to impeach the president. Even as House Republicans move towards impeachment, the initiative seems more driven by members of Congress than by Trump himself.
McCarthy’s decision to trigger a House impeachment inquiry appears to be influenced by pressure from the right, though he recognizes there might not be enough votes for a full inquiry on the House floor. Despite not strongly advocating for Biden’s impeachment, Trump sees it as a way to retaliate against Democrats for impeaching him and has suggested that Republicans could concoct indictments against Democrats in response to his numerous criminal charges.
Trump has amplified accusations about Biden in recent months, drawing from right-wing media reports and House Republicans’ investigations into Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings. Despite lacking concrete evidence, he falsely claims that Joe Biden has taken foreign bribes and that these payments are affecting his actions as president. Public surveys indicate that many Americans harbor suspicions regarding Biden’s involvement in his son’s business activities.
While not explicitly calling for an impeachment inquiry, Trump did urge House Republicans in July to withhold military aid for Ukraine to pressure the administration to cooperate with investigations into the Bidens. However, he expressed concerns about the pace of an impeachment inquiry, deeming it too slow.
Although Trump remains in contact with House Republicans, he has not actively lobbied lawmakers regarding impeachment. He continues to criticize McCarthy for his initial post-January 6 comments and remains unpredictable in his responses, particularly regarding his standing as a potential Republican nominee for 2024.
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