House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is holding onto the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump because she knows the case is not strong, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday.
"if the House had the (Bill) Clinton-(Richard) Nixon rules this impeachment would have never moved forward," the California Democrat told Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "They had to game the system and now she's trying to change it in the Senate because she knows how weak this case is."
Further, McCarthy said, Pelosi pushed to pass the articles of impeachment with "such urgency" that as a result, the "weakest case" was approved by the Democrat-controlled House.
"They did not give the minority the opportunity to request witnesses and bring them forward, and now they want to change the course," McCarthy said. "It just shows they have nothing on their agenda. She said she would change the agenda in 2020. No, we are right back at impeachment one more time."
Meanwhile, there was no urgency because there was no case, said McCarthy, drawing a tweet from Trump repeating his comment.
Pelosi also has no leverage to use against the Senate to force how the impeachment case will be tried or whether witnesses will be called, said McCarthy.
"She's realizing that there's nothing there," he said, adding that Pelosi now knows that her own requirements that an impeachment proceeding only be held if there is overwhelming and compelling evidence of wrongdoing, and that there be bipartisan support, is not happening.
"She's realizing what a weak case she has and looking around for an agenda that America wants and she has no other agenda," said McCarthy.
He also called on Americans to return the House majority to Republicans, unless they want to "continue with impeachment."
He also predicted that House Democrats from "ruby red" states Trump carried will have to answer to constituents about voting for impeachment only to have Pelosi hold back the articles.
McCarthy also criticized House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff for his push to limit Trump's war powers authority when it comes to Iran following the death of Gen. Qassam Soleimani.
"I happened to be with the president in Mar-a-Lago the night it took place," said McCarthy. "The man had killed more than 600 Americans, this man had continued today to rise throughout the region, to create problems not only for us but for the rest of the world. The world is safer today because this president took action...I don't think it's a place for them to play politics."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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