Less than 24-hours before a full House vote on two articles of impeachment, President Donald Trump has sent a scathing letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In it, he accuses her and Democrats of cheapening the meaning of impeachment and setting a dangerous precedent for any U.S. President in the future.
“I write to express my strongest and most powerful protest against the partisan impeachment crusade being pursued by the Democrats in the House of Representatives,” the letter states. “By proceeding with your invalid impeachment you are violating your oaths of office, you are breaking your allegiance to the Constitution, and your are declaring open war on American Democracy.You dare to invoke the Founding Fathers in pursuit of this election-nullification scheme — yet your spiteful actions display unfettered contempt for America’s founding and your egregious conduct threatens to destroy that which our Founders pledged their very lives to build.”
"There is far too much that needs to be done to improve the lives of our citizens. It is time for you and the highly partisan Democrats in Congress to immediately cease this impeachment fantasy and get back to work for the American people. While I have no expectation that you will do so, I write this letter to you for the purpose of history and to put my thoughts on a permanent and indelible record," it continues.
The letter, which is six pages long, centers on themes of due process and Democrats undermining the will of American voters.
"More due process was afforded to those accused in the Salem Witch Trials," Trump wrote. "This is nothing more than an illegal, partisan attempted coup that will, based on recent sentiment, badly fail at the voting booth. You are not just after me, as President, you are after the entire Republican Party. But because of this colossal injustice, our party is more united than it has ever been before. History will judge you harshly as you proceed with this impeachment charade. Your legacy will be that of turning the House of Representatives from a revered legislative body into a Star Chamber of partisan persecution."
The letter disputes each article of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, in detail. President Trump also goes over his phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky and discusses former Vice President Joe Biden’s efforts to withhold $1 billion in loan guarantees from the country unless a prosecutor circling his son, Hunter Biden, was fired.
"Your first claim, 'Abuse of Power,' is completely disingenuous, meritless, and baseless invention of your imagination," he wrote. 'The second claim, so-called "Obstruction of Congress,' is preposterous and dangerous."
"Everyone, you included, knows what is really happening. Your chosen candidate lost the election in 2016, in an Electoral College landslide (306-227), and you and your party have never recovered from this defeat. You have developed a full-fledged case of what many in the media call Trump Derangement Syndrome and sadly, you will never get over it!" he continued. "You are the ones interfering in America's elections. You are the ones subverting America's Democracy. You are the ones Obstructing Justice. You are the ones bringing pain and suffering to your Republic for your own selfish personal, political, and partisan game."
You can read the entire letter below.
Letter From President Trump to Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Impeachment by Katie Pavlich on Scribd