Some GOP presidential candidates voiced support on Wednesday for House Republicans’ vote to launch an official impeachment inquiry into President Biden and his son’s business dealings.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Fox News, “I think this inquiry is justified,” per NBC’s Sarah Dean.
He added, “I think it should have been done long ago. He’s got so many issues that are clouding his presidency. He clearly would not be a great candidate for the Democrats.”
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told NBC’s Nnamdi Egwuonwu in New Hampshire that the president and the Biden administration were “bringing this on themselves” by not cooperating with the House GOP’s investigation.
Asked if there was enough evidence to support launching an impeachment inquiry, Christie said, “How are you supposed to make that decision if they won’t cooperate?”
The lone candidate who vocally opposed an impeachment inquiry on Wednesday night was former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who told NBC’s Jillian Frankel, “I would prefer Congress spend its time on border security and aid to Israel and Ukraine rather than pursue an impeachment inquiry.”
Notably, former President Donald Trump did not bring up the vote on the inquiry at an event in Iowa on Wednesday night, per NBC’s Frankel and Jake Traylor.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley was also mum on the issue, but supported an impeachment inquiry back in June, when she told Fox News that Republicans “absolutely should” start the process.
In other campaign news …
A rivalry beyond the campaign trail: NBC’s Matt Dixon and Allan Smith examine the feud between Trump and DeSantis, writing, “Trump doesn’t want to just beat DeSantis; he wants to end his — and perhaps his family’s — political career for good.”
Trump trial: After months of fireworks, testimony in the $250 million civil fraud trial against Trump and his company wrapped up on Wednesday, NBC’s Adam Reiss and Dareh Gregorian report.
On the airwaves: The Biden campaign is launching bilingual TV ads targeting Latino voters that tie Trump to Venezuelan dictators Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro, per The Messenger.
Texas abortion case collides with politics: The New York Times details how Democrats are seizing on a high-profile abortion case in Texas to criticize Republicans on the issue.
He’s back: Former controversial GOP Rep. Steve King, who was known for making racist remarks, resurfaced on the campaign trail Wednesday, appearing with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at multiple events in Iowa. The former congressman also hinted at a possible run for governor, telling NBC’s Alex Tabet that he “might take a look.”
He’s also back: Republican J.R. Majewski is back for a rematch against Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, and this time he has some high-profile Republicans supporting his run, per the New York Times. Last year, national Republicans pulled their support when reports raised questions about his military record.
Abortion on the ballot: Florida activists pushing for a ballot measure guaranteeing abortion access before fetal viability are appealing to Republican voters as they gather signatures for the effort, NBC’s Aaron Franco and Morgan Radford report.
