Editor's Note: The article is based on interviews with Wang Yong, a professor at the School of International Studies and director of the Center for International Political Economy at Peking University, and Ni Feng, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the experts' opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
Not long after hawkish John Bolton was abruptly forced out from the White House, top Democrat Nancy Pelosi's formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump has dropped another bombshell on the rough-and-tumble of the country's political combat.
The row followed a whistleblower's complaint about Trump's phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on July 25. Trump allegedly pushed Zelensky to investigate Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden on the call, using millions of U.S. dollars in aid to Ukraine as the leverage.
Despite Trump's denial of coercing Ukraine to interfere into the 2020 election, Pelosi insisted that Trump's actions "revealed dishonorable fact of the president's betrayal of his oath of office, betrayal of our national security, and betrayal of the integrity of our elections" and that he "must be held accountable."
Although no conclusion could be reached at the current stage, one thing is certain – both the GOPs and Democrats are applying all possible means, legal and political, to taint the reputation of their rivals. With the clock ticking for the 2020 presidential election, a full-fledged war between the two parties has now commenced.
On the one hand, Trump has been working earnestly for his 2020 ambition since his inauguration. To his disappointment, the Democrats seem to be more popular in a set of polls, with several of them, including Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, running ahead of Trump. This has inevitably raised the President's anxiety levels, prompting him to make "votes" the starting point of his foreign and domestic policies.
Against this backdrop, discussing Biden on the phone call with Zelensky is within expectation. "Trump's America First is gradually turning into Election First," Wang Yong, a professor at the School of International Studies and director of the Center for International Political Economy at Peking University, told CGTN.
U.S. House Minority Leader Representative Kevin McCarthy speaks to the media in response to Pelosi's announcement on the impeachment inquiry in Washington, the U.S., September 24, 2019. /VCG Photo
The Democrats, on the other hand, are mustering all their strength to retake power from the GOPs in 2020. Even Pelosi, known for her reluctant attitude on attempts to impeach Trump, was determined this time, moving full speed ahead with the inquiry.
"This further proves that the GOP-Democrat political combat has entered a crucial stage," Wang said.
Ni Feng, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, echoed Wang's view. "Voices calling for impeaching Trump are much louder among Democratic rank-and-file, and this pressured Pelosi, the most senior Democrat, to launch the formal inquiry against the president," Ni said.
In this context, the whistleblower's complaint is a cannot-be-missed opportunity to attack Trump. Previously, the Democratic Party attempted to use the Russiagate scandal to ruin Trump's political life but had to give up owing to a lack of concrete evidence. The complaint about the Trump-Zelensky phone call has now turned out to be a new weapon for them.
However, experts believe that the Democrats have taken their rival too lightly. Immediately after the launch of the inquiry, Trump announced that he will release the transcript of the phone call. This will make the impeachment decision more difficult to be made in Congress. Moreover, Trump, according to Wang, has been adept at instigating public sentiments on Twitter. His "Witch Hunt" theory may shape the public's view of the whole event.
The ongoing impeachment move, as Ni said, is merely an outlet for Democrats to vent their dissatisfaction with Trump and is unlikely to remove the president from office. Even if the Democrat-controlled House voted for the impeachment, the Senate where Republicans hold a majority of seats is highly likely to veto the decision.
The curtain is now up for the Republican-Democrat fight for 2020. How the new farce will develop remains to be seen.
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