Statement by Tulsi Gabbard on Impeachment Inquiry

WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Democratic candidate for president, released the following statement in support of moving forward with the impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives:

"Up to this point, I have been opposed to pursuing impeachment because it will further divide our already badly divided country.

However, after looking carefully at the transcript of the conversation with Ukrainian President, the whistleblower complaint, the Inspector General memo, and President Trump's comments about the issue, unfortunately, I believe that if we do not proceed with the inquiry, it will set a very dangerous precedent. Future presidents, as well as anyone in positions of power in the government, will conclude that they can abuse their position for personal gain, without fear of accountability or consequences.

If we allow the president to abuse his or her power, then our society will rot from top down. We will turn into a Banana Republic, where people in positions of power—from the president all the way down to the traffic cop—will feel it's OK to abuse their power with no consequences.

This is not the kind of country that any of us want to see.

So it is unfortunate, but necessary, that I'm speaking in support of the inquiry into the President's alleged abuse of power in relation to his interactions with Ukraine leaders.  This inquiry must be swift, thorough, and narrowly-focused. It cannot be turned into a long, protracted partisan circus that will further divide our country and undermine our democracy.

Our campaign will remain focused on how we can stop engaging in regime change wars, stop the new Cold War and nuclear arms race, and invest the money wasted on those wars and weapons to meet the needs of the American people. We can't allow a protracted impeachment process to further divide this country and distract from important issues that must be at the center of the debate in this campaign."