This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
Pelosi Pushes for Simple Message on Impeachment as Inquiry Barrels Ahead ¶
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a private appeal to Democrats on Sunday to maintain a simple and somber message as they push forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Trump.
According to a Democratic aide, Pelosi told her colleagues during a private conference call that the polls have changed drastically about the inquiry, and that their tone must be prayerful, respectful, and worthy of the Constitution.
After months of murky messaging around the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Democrats believe the new push, centered on Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine to dig up dirt on a political rival, gives them a fresh start with the public.
Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, the Democrat who leads the Intelligence Committee, told CBS's '60 Minutes' that more subpoenas in the inquiry would be coming as soon as early this week, including one for Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer.
Party leaders sent the rank and file home on Friday with instructions and talking points cards aimed at emphasizing the gravity of the moment, with two central messages for lawmakers to deliver to constituents: Trump abused his office, and Democrats would follow the facts.
Representative David Cicilline of Rhode Island, who heads the party's messaging arm, said, 'We want to keep this simple. This is not complicated. This is misconduct that the president has admitted to.'
Only a month ago, Pelosi told Democrats in another confidential conference call that the public support for an impeachment inquiry simply did not exist. But in an interview with CBS's '60 Minutes' that aired Sunday evening, she said changed circumstances had altered her calculus.
More than half of Americans — and an overwhelming number of Democrats — say they approve of the inquiry, according to a CBS News poll released Sunday. But the survey found a partisan split, with most Democrats calling the president's handling of Ukraine illegal and most Republicans calling Trump's actions proper.
The week-old inquiry is barreling forward, even with lawmakers out of town for a two-week recess. Schiff, appearing on the ABC program 'This Week,' said Sunday that the whistle-blower who triggered the inquiry would testify 'very soon.'
