Local political expert weighs in on Trump impeachment inquiry

SOUTH BEND, Ind.—Local political expert Jack Colwell was live in ABC57’s studio on Thursday to discuss the House’s move to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi fully endorsed the impeachment inquiry in an announcement on Tuesday following accusations that Trump may have sought a foreign government’s help in his reelection bid.

“Things are very divisive now, but impeachment is one of the most divisive things of all,” Colwell said, commenting on whether or not he believes that impeachment would further divide the nation.

As for the candidates vying for the next presidency, Colwell is unsure how an impeachment inquiry will affect them, saying he thinks those in Washington are uncertain themselves but any risks that are associated with it, he says Democrats are taking their chances with them.

On Wednesday, the White House released a transcript of a July 25 call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The call is at the center of the House Democrats’ impeachment probe.

During the call, Trump stated multiple times that he would have Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, and Attorney General William Barr contact Zelenskiy.

Read the full transcript here.

Also on Wednesday, some members and staff of congressional intelligence committees were given access to the whistleblower complaint that launched the impeachment effort in the House, which acting Director of National Intelligence, Joseph Maguire, is set to publicly speak about.

Colwell says that there could possibly be incriminating information in the whistleblower’s complaint.

“Those who have seen the report before it was to be released to the nation are saying that there are some devastating things in there,” Colwell said.

On if he think that the Senate would even end up convicting Trump if it came to it, Colwell says he doesn't think it would make it that far.

"I think there's no chance at all. I don't know that Mitch McConnell would even allow it to go to a vote in the Senate," Colwell said.

Some reports indicate that the whistleblower's complaint will be released as early as Thursday.