Right-wing media react to Trump impeachment inquiry: The world is “less safe” because of “coup-driven Democrats”
Written by Bobby Lewis & Alex Kaplan
Research contributions from Cydney Hargis & Brendan Karet
Published
Multiple right-wing media figures have lashed out over the House of Representatives launching an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.
On September 24, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced that the House would launch a formal impeachment inquiry of Trump in response to the president reportedly withholding military aid to Ukraine while pressuring its government to investigate Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. An intelligence community whistleblower reportedly filed a complaint at least in part over the issue, which until now has been blocked by the Trump administration from being reported to Congress.
In response to Pelosi’s announcement, right-wing media figures claimed that the world is “less safe” due to the inquiry, that it is part of a “coup” by Democrats, and that it is aimed at covering up for Biden:
On his radio show, Fox host Sean Hannity ranted that “the crazy lunatic fringe that is now known as the new Democratic extreme radical new green deal socialist party” has given Trump “a gift for reelection” by considering impeachment, adding: “This is all going to be the same impact as the Russia witch hunt. … What are they impeaching him for?”
Later on Fox, Hannity said that “the world is less safe and secure tonight” because of the Trump impeachment inquiry.
Fox host Tucker Carlson: “The people who sold out your country to China are concerned that President Trump betrayed America somehow."
Frequent Fox guest Matt Schlapp: “Their only politically viable avenue is scandal, investigation, impeachment with Trump. They can't win on the economy. They can't win on China. They can't win on America's role in the world.”
Fox’s Greg Gutfeld tweeted that the inquiry is aimed “to influence an election, of course! And we're supposed to be okay with THAT kind of influencing, apparently.”
Fox’s Geraldo Rivera: “If @realDonaldTrump releases an unredacted transcript & it is as benign as he suggests, then there’s going to be a ton of dopey commentators wiping entire omelets off their faces. #ImpeachTrump? What a joke. Impeach yourselves.”
Fox’s Tomi Lahren claimed the Trump impeachment inquiry showed “radicals have taken over the Democratic Party.”
Radio host Rush Limbaugh questioned if “Trump has committed an impeachable offense, does that mean that Biden and his son get a pass?” He also claimed that the Bidens “are actually the people here who have committed a gigantic political faux pas.”
Daily Wire host Ben Shapiro: “Here’s the short story: no quid pro quo, no impeachment. Bad, ugly behavior is not impeachable.”
The Federalist’s Ben Domenech: “I can't wait to see how the Democratic candidates deal with this basis for impeachment. I'm sure it will work out great for Biden in particular.”
The Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft wrote that the inquiry is a “plot” from “coup-driven Democrats.”
The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway: “Trump *is* guilty of the impeachable offense Democrats are livid with him for: Winning the 2016 election. The precise details for how to pretend he's being impeached for anything else are still, at this late date, being worked out.”
Conservative author and racist Ann Coulter: “This is a conspiracy of House Democrats and the media to keep @realDonaldTrump in office, so their TV ratings will remain sky high.”
Pro-Trump commentator Candace Owens: “If it needed to be said, you simply cannot impeach somebody on the basis that you do not like them. Today will be remembered as the day that the Democrats officially threw the towel in on their party.”
Pro-Trump comedian Terrence Williams claimed Pelosi “announced a formal impeachment inquiry to distract & confuse the American People” and demanded “FOCUS on investigating Biden & the other shady Dems!”
Breitbart’s Joel Pollak claimed that the inquiry should be called the “Donald Trump Re-election Act of 2019” or “The Fox News Subsidy Act of 2019.”
Pro-Trump social media figure Logan Cook, known online as Carpe Donktum, claimed the Trump inquiry is “because he won” in 2016 and is proof “we live in #ClownWorld,” a reference to a far-right meme connected to anti-Semitism.
QAnon supporter Dylan Wheeler, known online as “Educating Liberals,” claimed that the Democrats launched an inquiry because they “know Trump will win in 2020 / expose them for treason.”