Trump's Impeachment 'Lynching' Comment Goes Viral

WASHINGTON - President Trump lashed out on Twitter Tuesday calling the impeachment inquiry a "lynching."

"So some day, if a Democrat becomes President and the Republicans win the House, even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the President, without due process or fairness or any legal rights. All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here - a lynching. But we will WIN!,"  Trump wrote. 

So some day, if a Democrat becomes President and the Republicans win the House, even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the President, without due process or fairness or any legal rights. All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here - a lynching. But we will WIN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2019

"The fact it has been relentless. The fact is he has been relentlessly attacked by the mainstream media since before he took office that is what the President is talking about here," said Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley. 

2020 presidential campaign rivals aren't buying it and pushed back on social media with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) writing "lynching is a reprehensible stain on this nation's history, as is this President."

Julian Castro added, "It is beyond shameful to use the word "lynching" to describe being held accountable for your actions."

But Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) agreed with Trump's tweet calling the impeachment inquiry a "sham."

"This is a joke," Graham said. "I'm going to let the whole world know that if we were doing this as a Democratic president, you would be all over me right now. This is a lynching in every sense. This is un-American."

But even some key Republican lawmakers didn't agree with the choice of words. 

"That's not the language I would use. It's very clear what Democrats are doing here," said Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). 

The catalyst for the infamous tweet could have been due to the testimony of the President's acting ambassador to Ukraine.

It was Bill Taylor's turn in a revolving door of key witnesses.

He first sounded the Ukrainian aid alarm in a text message to the US ambassador to the EU. 

Taylor wrote. "I think it's crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign."

The recipient, Gordon Sondland replied, "the President has been crystal clear: no quid pro quos of any kind." 

Democrats say during closed-door testimony, Sondland said this message was dictated by the President himself. 

"Every single report starts with behind closed doors, he is not receiving due process – we all are aware of the situation in which Democrats are taking him behind closed doors releasing selective things not in context trying to attack and destroy this President," said Gidley.

The White House has asked for a full impeachment vote from the House

Republican lawmakers have echoed that request which would then give them the chance to be involved in the inquiry. 

“President Trump has done nothing wrong — this is a coordinated smear campaign from far-left lawmakers and radical unelected bureaucrats waging war on the Constitution. There was no quid pro quo," White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement released Tuesday.  "Today was just more triple hearsay and selective leaks from the Democrats’ politically-motivated, closed-door, secretive hearings. Every day this nonsense continues more taxpayer time and money is wasted. President Trump is leading the way for the American people by delivering a safer, stronger, and more secure country - the do-nothing Democrats should consider doing the same.”