‘We will do everything we can,’ Esper says of impeachment inquiry

Pentagon chief Mark Esper appears to vow to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry underway in the Democratic-held House against US President Donald Trump, yet asserting that the White House also has a “say” in subpoenas sent to the Defense Department.

“We will do everything we can to respond to their inquiry, Chris,” the American defense secretary told Fox News on Sunday. “My general counsel a week or two ago sent out a note, as we often do in these situations, to the key members in the Pentagon to say, ‘Retain your documents and institute other controls… So, again, we will respond as we can.”

October 15

PressTV-Dems discussing detention of Trump allies

The Democratic lawmakers engaged in impeachment inquiry are having "serious discussions" about detaining some.

Esper refused to say whether the Pentagon would meet that target date of subpoenas already sent to them.

“I don't know the status of what that document preparation is. I don't know what restrictions we may have internally with regard to releasing them,” he said. “The White House has a say on the release of documents, as well. There are a number of things that play into this.”

The Trump administration has been trying to stop staff from responding to subpoenas issued by the House to investigate the Ukraine scandal as part of the impeachment inquiry.

Trump's ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland was reportedly preparing to finally appear before US House despite formerly refusing to do so.

Trump is under pressure for tying US military aid to Ukraine to an investigation into Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, over allegations of corruption.

“The enclosed subpoena demands documents that are necessary for the Committees to examine this sequence of these events and the reasons behind the White House’s decision to withhold critical military assistance to Ukraine that was appropriated by Congress to counter Russian aggression,” the three House Democratic chairmen leading the impeachment inquiry wrote in a letter to Esper, giving him until October 15.

Cruz distances himself

Trump earlier urged China from the White House lawn to scrutinize the Bidens similarly, an idea some of his allies are distancing themselves from.

“Elections in the US should be decided by Americans, and it's not the business of foreign countries, any foreign countries, to be interfering in our elections,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), asserting that the Trump’s move was not appropriate.

The Trump ally asserted “foreign countries should stay out of” US elections.

“That's true for Russia, that's true for Ukraine, that's true for China, that's true for all of them,” he said. “It should be the American people deciding elections.”

‘I’m the reason for impeachment’

Trump is, meanwhile, threatening that House Democrats could lose their seats due to the impeachment efforts.

"The Democrats are going to lose a lot of House Seats because of their Fraudulent use of Impeachment. Schiff fabricated phone call, a crime," the president tweeted, referring to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Ca.)

Biden also brought up impeachment at the United Food and Commercial Workers union presidential forum Sunday.

"I may be the last guy that publicly called for impeachment, but I'm the only reason there is impeachment going on," he said at the United Food and Commercial Workers union presidential forum Sunday. He was referring to the fact that the impeachment inquiry was launched after a whistleblower report sounded alarm over President Trump's urging for Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter.

‘GOP constituents changing their minds’

The former vice president noted that "whether or not the [Republican-held] Senate will impeach, there's no option" for the House other than considering impeachment.

"Their job is to determine whether to impeach," he said. "My job is to flat out beat him."

According to polls, more than the majority of Americans support impeachment and removing Trump from office.

"What's going to change Republicans' minds in the United States Congress is when their constituents start changing their minds," Biden said. "And you're seeing it start to happen."

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