Nancy Pelosi Orders Trump Impeachment Inquiry | News 4 Now

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump on Tuesday, acquiescing to mounting pressure from fellow Democrats and plunging a deeply divided nation into an election year clash between Congress and the commander in chief. The probe centers on whether Trump abused his presidential powers and sought help from a foreign government to undermine Democratic foe Joe Biden and help his own reelection. Pelosi said such actions would mark a "betrayal of his oath of office" and declared: "No one is above the law." Pelosi's brief statement, historic yet presented without dramatic flourish, capped a frenetic stretch on Capitol Hill as details of a classified whistleblower complaint about Trump have burst into the open and momentum has shifted swiftly toward an impeachment probe. The charge was led by several moderate Democratic lawmakers from political swing districts , many of them with national security backgrounds and serving in Congress for the first time. After more than two and one-half years of sharp Democratic criticism of Trump, the formal impeachment quest sets up the party's most urgent and consequential confrontation with a president who thrives on combat — and injects deep uncertainty in the 2020 White House race. Trump has all but dared Democrats to take this step, confident that the specter of impeachment led by the opposition party would bolster his political support NBC 4 New York on Twitter: http://4.nbcny.com/kAuuwUN NBC 4 New York on Facebook: http://4.nbcny.com/mbeh714 NBC 4 New York on Instagram: http://4.nbcny.com/g5YlkcI NBC 4 New York on Youtube: http://4.nbcny.com/iTUpy5e #News #Politics #Trump ----------------------------------------------- NBC 4 New York / WNBC is the flagship station of the NBC Owned Television Stations division of NBCUniversal, serving the New York Tri-State area with an unparalleled commitment to broadcast excellence for more than 75 years. For more information about NBC 4 New York, visit NBCNewYork.com.