Washington Free Beacon editor in chief Matthew Continetti said on Thursday that the entrance of Tom Steyer into the Democratic primary means the billionaire activist will likely push to make other candidates adopt impeachment as a platform.
Continetti's comment came in response to a tweet Steyer posted after supporters of President Donald Trump chanted "send her back" after Trump criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) at a Wednesday rally. Steyer called out House Democrats for not voting in favor of an impeachment resolution raised by Rep. Al Green (D., Texas).
"To each of the 137 Democrats who voted to table an impeachment resolution yesterday, I have just one question after the president's rally last night: Why aren't racism and inciting a mob against an American & sitting Congresswoman impeachable offenses?" Steyer wrote.
To each of the 137 Democrats who voted to table an impeachment resolution yesterday, I have just one question after the president's rally last night: Why aren't racism and inciting a mob against an American & sitting Congresswoman impeachable offenses?
— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) July 18, 2019
Continetti said on Meet the Press Daily that Steyer has been pushing for impeachment long before he declared his candidacy and that he will be "the presidential candidate who will make impeachment an issue" for other candidates.
"That first presidential debate I think a lot of candidates wanted to talk about their agenda more than anything else," Continetti said. "Indeed, you heard the name Mitch McConnell mentioned more often than President Trump's. With Steyer's entry, you have someone who has always been for impeachment, and who, I think, will try to get the other candidates to commit one way or the other."
Steyer previously stated in January that he would not run for president, and instead focus solely on impeaching Trump. He entered the race in early July, drawing criticism from other 2020 candidates.
"I think this is a moment for all of the Democratic candidates as they come into the race to say: In a Democratic primary, we are going to link arms and we're going to grass-roots funding. No to the billionaires," Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) said on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show after Steyer announced his bid.