Biden and Sanders both express openness to impeachment but avoid taking a firm stance

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday both expressed openness to impeachment proceedings against President Trump while, unlike some other 2020 Democrats, not explicitly calling for Congress to do so.

Following Special Counsel Robert Mueller delivering a statement in which he reiterated the findings of his two-year investigation, Biden's campaign said that the former vice president agrees with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that "no one would relish what would certainly be a divisive impeachment process." However, the campaign adds that impeachment "may be unavoidable if this administration continues on its path."

Similarly, Sanders on Wednesday said that he "will support" the decision to open an impeachment inquiry into Trump should the House Judiciary Committee "deem it necessary," although he did not call for this step to be taken himself. House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) had earlier in the afternoon said that when it comes to impeachment, "all options are on the table."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

A growing number of 2020 Democrats have said they support impeachment proceedings, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) also for the first time backed impeachment in response to Mueller's statement on Wednesday.

But Biden and Sanders have consistently stopped short of doing so, with Biden having previously said simply that Congress could potentially have "no alternative" to impeachment should Trump block their investigations, while Sanders recently said that it "may be time at least to begin the process through the Judiciary Committee to determine whether or not there are impeachment proceedings."