Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that an impeachment inquiry into President Trump “became absolutely unavoidable” following the release of the phone call conversation and related whistleblower complaint.
Clinton, who was speaking on “The View,” said her 2016 opponent’s actions on a phone call with the Ukrainian president amounted to extortion.
“I think it became absolutely unavoidable when the summary of the phone call came out plus the whistleblower complaint,” Clinton said.
The former secretary of State said Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had no choice but to initiate an investigation into the president because otherwise it would have been a “dereliction of duty.”
{mosads}”They had to look into this,” Clinton said. “And there’s enough concern by former security officials, others who have weighed in on this, that it deserves an impeachment inquiry.”
Pelosi last week formally launched an impeachment inquiry after details emerged about a July 25 phone call in which Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading 2020 presidential candidate, and Biden’s son, Hunter.
“That phone call very clearly indicates an effort to not only pressure but in effect extort the president of Ukraine over much necessary military assistance that had already been passed by the Congress,” Clinton said.