Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), the chief GOP opponent of opening an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, has changed his mind, stating on Tuesday it is a “good idea” to launch an inquiry into the president.
Buck told NBC News the inquiry is a good idea because it removes a “distraction” and permits the House to focus on the next spending fight. He also noted that “nothing changes,” as House Republicans were already investigating the Biden family.
When asked how he explained changing his mind to support the inquiry, Buck told NBC News he asked to review the powerful allegations compiled by the investigators.
“Well, I’m skeptical of voting for it because I don’t see the link at this point between Joe Biden and Hunter Biden’s activities,” he said. “So I’ve asked to see the evidence.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy opened the inquiry based on four pieces of evidence: House investigators found that Joe Biden lied about his involvement in the family business, bank records show many payments were directed to Biden family members through shell companies, an FBI informant file alleges Joe Biden was bribed by a Ukrainian energy executive, and Joe Biden “offered special treatment” to Hunter Biden amid his Justice Department’s tax probe into his son.
“Taken together, these allegations paint a picture of a culture of corruption,” McCarthy said. “These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption. They warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives.”
WATCH — “President Biden Did Lie”: McCarthy Announces Impeachment Inquiry into Joe Biden
Speaker Kevin McCarthy / FacebookBuck’s change of mind came after taking heat for claiming Sunday that no evidence exists to launch an impeachment inquiry.
“The time for impeachment is the time when there’s evidence linking President Biden — if there’s evidence linking President Biden — to a high crime or misdemeanor. That doesn’t exist right now,” Buck told MSNBC.
“Members like Ken Buck — he wrote the book Drain the Swamp… if you can’t be there for impeachment on Joe Biden after all the damning information that is coming out and continues to come, then what do you think draining the swamp actually means?” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) told Breitbart News in August.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)
“They either should step down from the Judiciary Committee or remove themselves because they’re standing in the way of real justice for the American people,” she added.
Buck’s previous claims mirrored the Democrats’ Tuesday talking points opposing impeachment.
“House Republicans have been investigating the President for 9 months, and they’ve turned up no evidence of wrongdoing,” White House spokesman Ian Sams posted on X. “His own GOP members have said so.”
“The evidence shows no wrongdoing by President Biden, but the GOP is obviously forced to launch an impeachment inquiry regardless of the facts,” House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin claimed in a statement.
Jamie Raskin (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“Republican leaders are caving to Marjorie Taylor Greene and the MAGA Right, which is insisting on either a ridiculous government shutdown or a farcical impeachment exercise,” he added.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
