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Tampa Bay Times' editorial board says President Trump should be impeached

The writers say they came to the conclusion "with reluctance."
Credit: AP
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Paraguay's President Mario Abdo Benitez in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Dec. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

The Tampa Bay Times believes there's enough justification for President Donald Trump to be impeached.

In an editorial published Friday, the newspaper acknowledged it was unlikely the commander in chief would actually be removed from office by the Republican-controlled Senate. However, the Times' editorial board wrote they hoped the likely trial would give voters "a more complete picture" of the president's conduct before the 2020 election.

The House Judiciary Committee has approved two articles of impeachment against President Trump. The preliminary vote was divided along party lines. Next week, the full U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on the charges.

President Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing, is accused of abusing his power by asking Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and using military aid as leverage. He's also accused of obstructing Congress and hindering lawmakers' efforts to investigate him.

Credit: AP
Republican counsel Stephen Castor waits as House Judiciary Committee members arrive to vote on two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, Friday, Dec. 13, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The Times' editorial says the fundamental facts presented through documents and witness testimony aren't in question -- even by the president and his supporters.

"The evidence is clear: The president withheld financial assistance and public support in an attempt to force Ukraine to announce investigations of a political rival and to advance a false narrative about interference in the 2016 election," The Times wrote

The newspaper's editorial board includes the paper's chairman and CEO Paul Tash, editorial editor Tim Nickens and editorial writers Elizabeth Djinis, John Hill and Jim Verhulst.

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