Trump Warns Pelosi Is “Declaring Open War On Democracy” In Scathing 6-Page Letter On Impeachment

Read the full letter from President Trump to Nancy Pelosi on impeachment here.

The Hill has more to say:

        

President Trump sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday urging her to halt impeachment proceedings one day before the House is set to vote to impeach him, accusing Democrats of an “unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power.” 

Trump, in a scathing six-page letter to Pelosi, complained about the impeachment process, defended his conduct toward Ukraine and accused Democrats of “interfering in America’s elections.”

“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,” Trump wrote. 

The lengthy missive contained many of the same arguments and featured the same heated rhetoric Trump has deployed over the last two months via Twitter and public appearances. He complains about former special counsel Robert Mueller, lists off his own achievements, bashes "ranting and raving" Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and denies any wrongdoing.

“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,” Trump wrote in the letter, which marked his first personal correspondence with Pelosi on impeachment. “History will judge you harshly as you proceed with this impeachment charade.”

The president, who said in the Oval Office moments after the letter was publicized that he takes "zero" responsibility for facing impeachment, instead accused Democrats of committing the same actions they have alleged Trump is guilty of.

“You are the ones interfering in America’s election. You are the ones subverting America’s Democracy. You are the ones Obstructing Justice,” Trump wrote. “You are the ones bringing pain and suffering to our Republic for your own selfish personal, political, and partisan gain.”

“I have no doubt the American people will hold you and the Democrats fully responsible in the upcoming 2020 election. They will not soon forgive your perversion of justice and abuse of power,” he added. 

The letter came on the eve of the House vote on two articles of impeachment against Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Democratic-controlled lower chamber is widely expected to approve the articles of impeachment with no Republican support. 

Fox News also said:

President Trump, in a blistering, no-holds-barred six-page letter Tuesday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., lambasted the Democrats' impeachment inquiry as an "open war on American Democracy," writing that she has violated her oath of office and "cheapened the importance of the very ugly word, impeachment!"

"Everyone, you included, knows what is really happening," Trump said, just a day before House Democrats were expected to vote to impeach him. "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. So you have spent three straight years attempting to overturn the will of the American people and nullify their votes. You view democracy as your enemy!"

He went on: "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 our Republic for your own selfish personal, political, and partisan gain."

Pelosi, speaking to reporters Tuesday evening, called the letter "ridiculous." She said she feels "fine" but "sad" about the pending impeachment vote.

Trump specifically hammered Pelosi for daring "to invoke the Founding Fathers in pursuit of this election-nullification scheme," and "even worse," for "offending Americans of faith by continually saying 'I pray for the President,' when you know this statement is not true, unless it is meant in a negative sense."

"It is a terrible thing you are doing," Trump added, "but you will have to live with it, not I!"

The president argued that Democrats were trying to distract Americans from the strong economy and historically low unemployment numbers, and pointed out that Democrats have openly called for impeachment since the day he took office. Democrats' persistent but unsubstantiated allegations that the Trump campaign had conspired with Russians to influence the 2016 election,  the president pointed out, ultimately "dissolved into dust," but not before the nation had to endure years of "turmoil and torment."

Concerning the obstruction-of-Congress impeachment count, Trump attacked Democrats for "trying to impeach the duly elected President of the United States for asserting Constitutionally based privileges that have been asserted on a bipartisan basis by administrations of both political parties throughout our nation's history."

And, regarding the abuse-of-power count, Trump noted that it was former Vice President Joe Biden who had "bragged" on video about having Ukraine's allegedly corrupt prosecutor fired by threatening to withhold $1 billion in critical U.S. aid. But, House Republicans have been barred by Democrats from calling witnesses that would help them make the case that Trump's concerns about Ukraine corruption were legitimate.

"More due process was afforded to those accused in the Salem Witch trials," Trump wrote, observing that even Ukraine's president has repeatedly said at the United Nations that he felt no undue pressure from the White House.