California Democrat in swing district calls for Trump impeachment inquiry

Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) on Monday became just the second House Democrat from a swing district to voice support for launching an impeachment inquiry against President Trump.

“After weeks of study, deliberation and conversations with Orange County families, I’ve decided to support an impeachment investigation of the president,” Porter, who represents an inland Orange County district, said in a video posted on Twitter. “I have not come to this easily. I come to this decision after much deliberation, and I know deeply what this means for our democracy.”

Porter, who won a seat that had been in GOP hands since 1983 during last year’s midterm elections, noted that she “didn’t come to Congress to impeach the president.”

Today I wanted to speak directly to the people of CA-45. There’s been a lot of noise in D.C. and in the press about impeachment, so I wanted to share my thoughts with you. pic.twitter.com/ceri6lHwbY

— Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) June 18, 2019

“But when faced with a crisis of this magnitude, I cannot with a clean conscience ignore my duty to defend the Constitution,” she said. “I can’t claim to be committed to rooting out corruption and putting people over politics and then not apply those same principles and standards in all of the work I do.”

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers, including several 2020 Democratic presidential contenders, have called for Congress to launch an impeachment inquiry against Trump in the wake of the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. 

Porter, though, is just the second House Democrat from a swing district to throw support behind the effort. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), who represents a competitive swing district, told NBC News in May that he supported launching an impeachment inquiry. 

“I’ve come to think that it is warranted at this point given what appears to be across-the-board defiance of congressional oversight and the rule of law by the administration,” he said. 

Despite more than 60 Democrats supporting impeachment, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has continued to resist the effort. She said last week that it’s “not even close” to getting the support it needs from the Democratic caucus.