CNN Analyst Suggests Democrats Let Republicans Try to Impeach Biden: ‘You Wanna Know How to Juice Enthusiasm?’

CNN’s political director David Chalian had a wild idea for the Democrats to amp up the “enthusiasm gap” for President Joe Biden’s re-election: Let the House GOP impeach him.

CNN’s Dana Bash welcomed a panel to Inside Politics on Monday to discuss Melanie Zanona’s report on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy taking possible steps towards an impeachment inquiry against Biden, even without any evidence that would merit such an investigation. An important element of this story is the handful of House Republicans who are a little squeamish about launching such a high-stakes inquiry because of the political risks involved. In this case, the party in control of the House.

But what if letting them do just that could actually help Biden in 2024?

That was what Chalian suggested, all but encouraging Democrats to play chicken with Republicans in the name of rallying Biden’s base and supporters — similarly to how impeachment rallied support for former President Donald Trump:

I would also just note, if one of the big, potential vulnerabilities of a Biden re-election effort is an enthusiasm problem, we’re seeing that in small donors. If you want to know how to juice enthusiasm on the Democratic side? Launch an impeachment inquiry and launch impeachment, and watch what that will do to help rally Democrats to Biden’s cause. We actually saw it with Donald Trump in 2019 and ’20 before the pandemic hit with the first impeachment.

CNN White House correspondent Jeremy Diamond also mentioned that there were whispers in the White House about letting Republicans fly too close to the sun:

Yeah, exactly. If Republicans overplay their hands, that will increase Democratic enthusiasm and that it will backfire on those swing district Republicans who handed Kevin McCarthy the majority last session.

Trump has been making money off each of his four indictments and his Atlanta mugshot and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) raised money for his Senate run off his censure, so maybe it’s an idea so crazy it could work?

Watch the video above via CNN.