Trump, Pelosi trade barbs on Twitter over impeachment inquiry

President Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday traded barbs on Twitter over the impeachment inquiry as lawmakers hear from a key official from Trump’s National Security Council (NSC).

The spat started with a tweet from the president, in which he asked “how many more Never Trumpers” will testify in front of the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Reform committees as part the inquiry. He encouraged the committees to “read the transcript” of his July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

How many more Never Trumpers will be allowed to testify about a perfectly appropriate phone call when all anyone has to do is READ THE TRANSCRIPT! I knew people were listening in on the call (why would I say something inappropriate?), which was fine with me, but why so many?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2019

Pelosi quote-tweeted Trump’s tweet, saying “Everybody has read your words on the call.”

Everybody has read your words on the call. The Ukrainian President asks for military aid to fend off the Russian attack, you say “I want you to do us a favor though,” and then you spend the rest of the call asking for bogus investigations to smear your political opponents. https://t.co/vI2eD4T6vK

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) October 29, 2019

{mosads}Trump then accused the Speaker in a separate tweet of “doing everything possible to destroy the Republican Party.”

“The Do Nothing Dems will lose many seats in 2020,” he tweeted “They have a Death Wish, led by a corrupt politician, Adam Schiff!”

Nervous Nancy Pelosi is doing everything possible to destroy the Republican Party. Our Polls show that it is going to be just the opposite. The Do Nothing Dems will lose many seats in 2020. They have a Death Wish, led by a corrupt politician, Adam Schiff!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2019

Pelosi launched the impeachment inquiry into Trump after a whistleblower report detailed a request to Zelensky for the country to look into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, days after moving to delay hundreds of millions in dollars in U.S. aid to Kiev. 

The inquiry has so far occurred behind closed doors, prompting GOP lawmakers to call foul, with a group of House Republicans last week barging into into the sensitive compartmented information facility where a hearing was taking place. 

House Democrats have announced that they plan to hold a floor vote on the inquiry on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the NSC’s director for European affairs, planned to tell members he more than once raised concerns about Trump’s interactions with Zelensky, according to his opening remarks, fearing the national security implications.