"Meanwhile, the House voted on Thursday to make its impeachment inquiry formal.The measure passed 232 to 196 with no Republican support. Two Democrats joined Republicans in opposing the impeachment inquiry.Trump and Republicans had complained that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's announcement about an inquiry didn't carry the same legal weight as an actual vote and, accordingly, it was illegitimate.That was one reason why White House counsel Pat Cipollone vowed that the administration would not cooperate with witnesses or evidence.But that firewall hasn't stopped several current administration witnesses. The House vote also didn't change the minds of Republicans either. They rejected the framework set out in the legislation as still too unfair to them and the due process they say they and Trump are owed."
NPR: Impeachment Inquiry Catch-Up: A Vote By House Democrats Makes It Official, November 2, 2019
This gulf in Democrats’ and Republicans’ views is more than just partisanship, however. It’s the latest evidence that political tribalism has taken over nearly every part of American life.
According to a growing body of political-science research, Americans largely no longer feel a shared sense of national identity. Democrats and Republicans see their political opponents as enemies with totally incomprehensible beliefs and lifestyles. On impeachment, members of the two parties see things radically differently, not just because they have dissimilar political opinions, but because they have entirely divergent views on how to approach life. The vicious impeachment fight ahead may further exacerbate polarization in America, leaving Republicans, Democrats, and everyone in between feeling even more suspicious of one another.
The Atlantic: Americans Hate One Another. Impeachment Isn’t Helping., November 2, 2019
