Tipsheet

Why Democrats Moved From 'Quid Pro Quo' to 'Bribery' in Impeachment Push

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  November 15, 2019 7:45 AM

If you’ve been following the impeachment inquiry closely, you’ll notice Democrats have moved away from using the term “quid pro quo” to describe President Trump’s alleged misconduct in the July phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky, and have instead embraced “bribery.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi explained in a press conference that the use of the word “bribery” makes it easier for Americans to understand.

“Talking Latin around here: E pluribus unum — from many, one. Quid pro quo — bribery,” she said. “And that is in the Constitution, attached to the impeachment proceedings.”

That’s not the whole story, however. According to The Washington Post, the terminology shift came after the DCCC conducted focus groups in battleground states. 

The shift came after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee conducted focus groups in key House battlegrounds in recent weeks, testing messages related to impeachment. Among the questions put to participants was whether “quid pro quo,” “extortion” or “bribery” was a more compelling description of Trump’s conduct. According to two people familiar with the results, which circulated among Democrats this week, the focus groups found “bribery” to be most damning. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the results have not been made public. (WaPo)

And Pelosi thinks the American people are really going to believe the impeachment inquiry is not about politics. Sure. 

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