Congressmember Salud Carbajal joined the ranks of Democrats calling for the initiation of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, citing 10 instances in which Trump sought to interfere with the investigation conducted by former special counsel Robert Mueller. Carbajal's announcement provided the tipping point in congressional opinion to favor impeachment proceedings.
Carbajal, who privately had been leaning toward impeachment, had conducted an online poll to gauge the sentiments of his constituents. Carbajal's office reported about 8,000 people responded to the survey request with a small majority favoring impeachment. In addition, another 4,100 constituents reportedly called or emailed Carbajal on the impeachment question, making it one of the most intensely commented upon issue in the district offices. Of those, a solid majority favored impeachment.
Among many Democrats — even Trump’s harshest critics — impeachment has proved a controversial matter. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others have strongly cautioned against impeachment, noting that Trump has the votes in the Senate no matter what Congress may eventually find. With the election right around the corner, they argue, it makes more sense to focus on achievable objectives and on beating Trump in November 2020.