The impeachment threat against Biden

Kevin McCarthy/Joe Biden. AP 

  

The impeachment threat against Biden  

Impeachment investigation begins against Joe Biden in the USA  

 

The US House of Representatives is opening an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden, Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced on X, formerly Twitter.  

 

The committee that investigated the affairs of the president's son Hunter Biden has revealed a "culture of corruption" within the Biden family, says McCarthy according to the AP. 

 

 - There are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction of justice and corruption, and it requires further investigation by the House of Representatives.  

 

An impeachment inquiry precedes a potential impeachment vote. The Republicans have a majority in the House of Representatives. There, a simple majority is required to vote for impeachment, after which the process moves on to the Senate, where a two-thirds majority is required to convict.  

 

Kentucky Rep. James Comer will lead the investigation.  

 

The White House reacted quickly and condemned the announcement as "extreme politics", writes AFP.  

 

Kevin McCarthy. J. Scott Applewhite / AP  

 

White House: "The worst kind of extreme politics"  

 

The White House reacted quickly to House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy's announcement that an impeachment inquiry will be opened against President Joe Biden, based on the affairs of his son Hunter Biden. 

 

The actions of the Republicans are "extreme politics of the worst kind", writes Ian Sams, the White House spokesman on investigative matters, on X (formerly Twitter).  

 

"The Republicans in the House of Representatives have been investigating the president for nine months without finding any evidence that he did anything wrong. (McCarthy's) own party members have said so.” 

 

McCarthy has been pressured from the right flank within his party to act against Biden – some voices within the party have even threatened to oust him if he does not, writes CNN.

Kevin McCarthy. J. Scott Applewhite / AP  

The impeachment threat against Biden 

Analysis: McCarthy has been under considerable pressure from the right  

Republican Kevin McCarthy has a weak position as speaker - to take up the post last winter, he was forced to accept harsh conditions for how he can be removed, says SVT's US correspondent Fouad Youcefi.  

- In recent weeks, he has been under considerable pressure from the right in the party to initiate and support an impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden.  

The speaker is in a difficult position because he does not seem to have enough votes to formally open the investigation, writes Stephen Collinson for CNN.  

McCarthy now faces the same dilemma as when he bargained with the right flank to get the Speaker's post, he continues.  

"Should he appease these members, led by Trump, to keep his job — even though it may not be in the long-term interest of the party and the nation?"  

Today's news only comes as a shock to those who have followed one side of the media reporting - the one who claims that Hunter Biden's affairs have nothing to do with the father, writes Malin Ekman for SvD.  

"Despite the fact that for a long time information has been presented that contradicts this benevolent interpretation, the narrative has persisted."

 

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