Joe Biden Just Called for Trump’s Impeachment: ‘He Has Indicted Himself’

WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Joe Biden called for President Trump to be impeached on Wednesday, going further than his previous comments in a fiery speech and matching what many of his 2020 opponents have been saying for months.

“With his words and his actions, President Trump has indicted himself. By obstructing justice, refusing to comply with the congressional inquiry, he’s already convicted himself. In full view of the world and the American people, Donald Trump has violated his oath of office, betrayed this nation and committed impeachable acts,” Biden said during a campaign event in New Hampshire. “To preserve our constitution, our democracy, our basic integrity, he should be impeached.”

For the first time, former Vice President Joe Biden called for President Trump's impeachment. https://t.co/02Q05Z0KwP pic.twitter.com/sc5tYVXfrF

— CNN News Central (@NewsCentralCNN) October 9, 2019

Biden’s speech came a day after the White House said it would refuse to cooperate in any way with the House’s impeachment investigation, and went further than his previous remarks.

Trump’s private pressure on Ukraine’s president to investigate Biden is at the center of the House’s impeachment investigation, and he’s sought to sully Biden since those efforts became public. Trump recently publicly asked both China and Ukraine to investigate Biden.

Biden pushed Ukraine’s leaders to fire a prosecutor who had failed to aggressively pursue corruption in the state, a move that had bipartisan and international support. Trump has characterized that push as aimed at helping Biden’s son Hunter, who was serving on the board of a Ukrainian oil company, though there’s no evidence that’s true.

Biden laid out those facts during his speech, though he didn’t address whether Hunter benefited at all from his own international stature.

“He’s targeted me and my family with lies, distortions and smears. That’s all they are.”

“He’s just flat doing what he’s always done: lying,” Biden said.

“He’ll do anything it takes to stay in power, to protect himself, because he knows that out of power he may be a lot more vulnerable.”

Trump was quick to respond:

So pathetic to see Sleepy Joe Biden, who with his son, Hunter, and to the detriment of the American Taxpayer, has ripped off at least two countries for millions of dollars, calling for my impeachment – and I did nothing wrong. Joe’s Failing Campaign gave him no other choice!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2019

Cover: Former US Vice President and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden speaks at the SEIU Unions for All Summit in Los Angeles, California on October 4, 2019. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)