Feeding into the left’s dream of impeaching President Trump, CNN’s infamously incomparable White House correspondent Jim Acosta raised during Wednesday’s White House briefing the prospect of the President being impeached by the House if Democrats take control starting in January 2019.
Acosta led into that by invoking Speaker Paul Ryan’s announcement that he won’t seek reelection and that “[t]here are some fears up on Capitol Hill and we understand some in the White House that a Democratic wave is coming and could sweep the Republicans out of power in the House.”
“[A]nd that could potentially lead to impeachment proceedings that the Democrats could bring forward. What is the President's thinking on that and what is your thinking on that,” Acosta added.
Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded by stating that “we are very confident in the record we have and the very successful first year and a half that the President’s had in office and we expect to take about that a lot.”
She then quipped: “We would love for you to talk about that a lot more too and we’d be happy to send you talking points if you need some guidance on that front.”
Acosta shot back by asking again about whether she thinks “a wave is coming” and Sanders reiterated that “we certainly think we have a great story to tell and we think America....certainly has, I think, felt the impact certainly from a economic standpoint.”
Prior to the impeachment question, Acosta questioned Sanders (like many of his colleagues did) about the President’s tweet telling Russia to “get ready” ahead of what’s expected to be military action by the U.S. and possibly its allies against the Russia-backed Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.
To see the relevant transcript from April 11's White House press briefing, click “expand.”
White House press briefing
April 11, 2018
4:17 p.m. Eastern
JIM ACOSTA: It sounds like the president hasn’t really left a lot of wiggle room. You said that all options are on the table, but when the President says “get ready, Russia,” they will with coming, the missiles are coming, how is that anything but an announcement of a pending air strike?
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: Ah, that's certainly one option, but that doesn't mean it's the only option or the only thing that the President may or may not do. Just because he does one thing doesn't mean he can't do a number of other actions —
ACOSTA: Isn’t that telegraphing? Isn’t that telegraphing that he’s —
SANDERS: — as well and he certainly hasn't laid out the timetable that would be broadcasting his intentions.
ACOSTA: And one other quick things on Speaker Ryan's announcement. There are some fears up on Capitol Hill and we understand some in the white house that a Democratic wave is coming and could sweep the Republicans out of power in the House and that could potentially lead to impeachment proceedings that the Democrats could bring forward. What is the President's thinking on that and what is your thinking on that?
SANDERS: Like I said earlier, we are very confident in the record we have and the very successful first year and a half that the President’s had in office and we expect to take about that a lot. We would love for you to talk about that a lot more too and we’d be happy to send you talking points if you need some guidance on that front.
ACOSTA: Do you think a wave is coming? You think a wave is come something? You think a wave is come something?
SANDERS: Ah, we certainly think we have a great story to tell and we think America will be ready to listen to that and certainly has, I think, felt the impact certainly from a economic standpoint for this administration and we're proud of that.
