A majority of the House now supports a Trump impeachment investigation


At least 218 members of the House now support at least an impeachment investigation into President Trump's actions regarding Ukraine, according to the tallies of several news organizations. That means a majority of the 435-member chamber is on board with the path House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) embarked on Tuesday evening.
It's not at all clear that there are the necessary 218 votes to actually impeach Trump, setting up a trial in the Senate, but the momentum has clearly shifted in the House. Nearly 60 House Democrats shifted toward impeachment after Pelosi's announcement, Politico reports. The numbers of impeachment inquiry supporters varies — The Washington Post and The New York Times put it at 218, Politico counts 219, and NBC News found 220 House members.
The only non-Democrat in all the tallies is Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.), who recently left the Republican Party. According to the Post's count, 25 House Democrats are ready to impeach Trump now, but most say they want to start the process and see whether it leads to articles of impeachment being filed. House leaders have no plans to vote on the impeachment process unless and until such articles are drafted, the Times reports. How the inquiry will be structured and its scope are open questions that House Democratic leaders are trying to cobble out "expeditiously," as Pelosi said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Columbia pays $200M to settle with White House
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the school of failing to protect its Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said
-
Japan's prime minister feels pressure after election losses
Speed Read Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office
-
President diagnosed with 'chronic venous insufficiency'
Speed Read The vein disorder has given Trump swollen ankles and visible bruising on his hands
-
'Bawdy' Trump letter supercharges Epstein scandal
Speed Read The Wall Street Journal published details of Trump's alleged birthday letter to Epstein