Four months into his presidency, Donald trump continues to lose popular support as details of his Russian connections unfold. After a survey last week said 48 percent of respondents want him impeached, a new survey released on Wednesday said 54 percent believe the president is abusing the powers of office.
If former President Richard Nixon had a Watergate scandal in the 1970s, Trump is suffering from a Russiangate scandal triggered by his firing of FBI Director James Comey. A Quinnipiac survey found that 54 percent of the respondents are not in favor of Trump’s dismissal of Comey -- who was investigating the links between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.
Poll
Time reported that another 55 percent believe that the billionaire pressured Comey into dropping the investigation into Michael Flynn, the former National Security Adviser. What Trump did was viewed as an abuse of power. Because of that perception, 62 percent favor a probe by the House of Representatives and 66 percent back the appointment of a special prosecutor to lead a criminal investigation of Trump and his advisers. Another 68 percent consider Russian interference in the 2016 election an important issue.
Not a 'nut job'
Trump, to justify his firing of Comey, described the former director as a “nut job” in a meeting with Russian diplomats in the Oval Office. However, House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, disagreed with the president.
Ryan, who admitted he likes Comey, said the former FBI director is not crazy.
Ryan said that people from both political parties are concerned with the decisions that Comey made. He believes Comey was forced into an impossible decision and he would be criticized for his decisions, but Ryan stressed that Comey served the country ably.
Drafting the impeachment articles
After Comey’s firing, Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green called for the impeachment of the 45th president of the U.S. He has now gone past rhetoric and is drafting the articles to begin the impeachment process for alleged obstruction of justice by Trump.
Green said it is not something he wanted to do, but he is compelled to, the New York Daily News reports.
If he were to file a privileged resolution for impeachment, the House of Representatives would be required to consider the initiative within two days of its delivery.
Political observers said impeachment has little chance because the Republicans hold the majority in both houses of the U.S. Congress. But Green, who is working with constitutional lawyers, said he is prepared to begin the battle alone if other legislators refuse to join him.
