Congresswoman Maxine Waters brought down the house Wednesday in a powerful speech arguing for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
Waters (D-California) was among several lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who took to the House floor to debate whether Trump deserved to be impeached. The embattled president faced charges of abusing his powers, as well as obstructing Congress.
Rep. Maxine Waters called the impeachment of President Donald Trump “not inevitable, but it was predictable.” (Photo: ABC News / video screenshot)
The California Democrat refused to hold back her rebuke of what she called the president’s “disgraceful” behavior.
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time,” Waters, invoking late poet and author Maya Angelou.
“Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately the rules of debate won’t allow me to cite all of the reasons [this] president should be impeached,” she continued, arguing the decision “was not inevitable, but it was predictable.” “[Trump] has shown himself time and time again to believe he is above the law, and he has no respect for our Constitution or our democracy.”
The ex-real estate mogul found himself at the center of a whistleblower complaint earlier this year after soliciting the Ukrainian government to investigate political rival Joe Biden. Additionally, Trump is accused of withholding $391 million in military aid and a highly coveted Oval Office meeting between Trump and new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky until they complied.
Waters argued the case House Democrats built against Trump was “irrefutable” and consisted of an “indisputable set of facts.”
“Never before in our history have we seen a president who has so clearly conducted himself in a manner offensive to and subversive to the Constitution,” she added. “Any other individual who would’ve been caught conducting themselves in the way this president has would have been prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
She concluded: “I wholeheartedly support this resolution. I’m proud that in the final analysis, justice will have been served in America and Trump will have been impeached!”
Waters was praised for her riveting remarks, prompting an ovation from fellow Dems and with many noting she was among the first Democrats to call for the president’s impeachment.
“The person who pushed for impeachment hardest was Congresswoman Maxine Waters,” policy analyst Preston Mitchum tweeted. “She, like we do to Black women often, will not be erased from this discourse. While we understand the Senate will not move forward, this was necessary. Our Constitution tells us so. #ImpeachmentDay”
Giving credit where credit is due. The honorable Maxine Waters was the first to courageously stand up to the criminal Trump. She kept her stiletto on his throat and never backed down. Let us never forget. 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 #ImpeachmentDay pic.twitter.com/c21XNKbcoQ
— Owning My Space (@OwningMySpace) December 19, 2019
“Let the record show that Maxine Waters received scattered applause for her ass kicking speech on the mess that is Trump and why he needs to be impeached,” another chimed in.
Another user lauded the congresswoman’s fearless persistence.
“Since the VERY beginning of this crime spree of a presidency there’s one Democrat who has been there for us fighting with the fire and the passion required to stop a lawless authoritarian… Thank you @RepMaxineWaters.”
In the end, the House Democrats overwhelmingly voted to impeach the president. Trump’s case will now head to the Senate, where a Republican majority will be in control as that body holds a trial and votes on whether the charges warrant a conviction. A conviction requires 67 votes in the Senate, where the Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.
Watch more in the video below.
Here is all of Rep. Maxine Waters' speech and it is splendid. The only thing missing is at the end, the chamber breaks into some well-deserved applause. pic.twitter.com/fpEtZ3WmfI
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) December 18, 2019
