This story has been updated to include comments from Welch’s afternoon conference call with reporters.
[A]fter opposing the removal of President Donald Trump from the White House, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., says he now supports impeachment proceedings, according to a statement released Thursday morning.
“I have concluded that President Donald Trump should be impeached. I do not arrive at this conclusion lightly. The power of impeachment granted to Congress by our Founding Fathers should not be casually employed,” Welch said. “ In our democracy, every deference should be given to the outcome of every election.”
Welch’s decision comes a day after he voted against a motion to block the House from impeaching the president.
“My vote was more about continuing the conversation on impeachment,” said Welch during a conference call with reporters on Thursday afternoon.
Welch has long been a skeptic when it comes to impeaching Trump and has voiced his support for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in her opposition to removing the president from office.
On Thursday, Welch said he has not spoken with Pelosi about his decision to now support impeachment proceedings, but that he did send her a text message explaining his intent to publicly call for impeachment proceedings.
Pelosi wrote a text back saying “thanks,” according to Welch.
“This is my decision,” Welch said. “I did tell her my thinking.”
In an interview with VTDigger in late May — just after special counsel Robert Mueller released his report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Welch said he did not think it was appropriate to call for impeachment.
“My view is that we need to proceed carefully, thoroughly and factually, and then make a decision when the investigatory work is done,” Welch said in May.
Now, just over a month later, Welch told reporters that Trump’s continued stonewalling of congressional oversight and escalating attacks on people of color and immigrants have made it clear the president is “unfit for office” and “should be impeached.”
In Welch’s statement released on Thursday, he said Trump’s continued attacks on the rule of law in the U.S. and his contempt for the role of Congress are reasons why he has changed his mind on impeachment.
“Instead of respecting the constitutional principle that no person, including the President of the United States, is above the law or beyond accountability, this president attacks our courts and judges and stonewalls Congress in the exercise of its Article 1 oversight responsibility,” Welch said.
“Instead of embracing the fundamental responsibility of every American president to unite our country, this president has unleashed a torrent of attacks on fellow citizens based on their race, gender, religion and ethnic origin,” he added.
The Vermont congressman also referred to how the president did not condemn his supporters chanting “send her back” about Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., — the first Somali-American to be elected to Congress — during a rally in North Carolina on Wednesday night.
“These issues have always been on my mind. Impeachment is a very serious step to take,” Welch said. “Last night was a very clear indication of how that conduct, that the president has fully embraced it.”
On Wednesday, Republican Gov. Phil Scott condemned the president’s recent comments demanding four female members of Congress — including Omar — “go back” to their home countries as “offensive” and “racist.”
On Thursday, Welch said that he now believes the president has not upheld the laws under the U.S. Constitution and has violated his oath of office.
“I have concluded that he has failed to honor that solemn oath which, in my view, merits impeachment under our Constitution,“ he said.
