WASHINGTON — Representative Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats have been leery of any mention of the I-word. Clamoring for the impeachment of President Trump, they fear, could backfire and alienate independent voters and unhappy Republicans they hope to attract in next year’s midterms. But demanding congressional hearings into accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior by the president is another thing altogether.
With the rapidly shifting cultural and political environment on sexual misconduct evident in the defeat of Roy Moore in Alabama and the quick resignations of multiple lawmakers, Democrats — led by women in the party — are intensifying their efforts to draw attention to Mr. Trump’s own history of accusations made against him by a number of women who say he groped or sexually harassed and abused them.
“If you look at the mood of the country and the ‘Me Too’ movement, the time is really right to get to the truth of the matter,” said Representative Lois Frankel of Florida, the chairwoman of the Democratic Women’s Working Group. The group has collected more than 150 signatures from Democratic lawmakers on a letter demanding that Republicans convene hearings on the issue.
They are highly unlikely to get satisfaction on that front. Representative Trey Gowdy, the South Carolina Republican who leads the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, quickly rejected the request for a hearing and said he would refer the matter to the Justice Department.
But Democrats intend to press the issue in an effort to force Mr. Trump and the White House to respond to allegations he has long dismissed. They hope to underscore a contrast with Democrats like Senator Al Franken of Minnesota and Representative John Conyers Jr. of Michigan — two of their own high-profile lawmakers who announced that they would vacate their seats after accusations of sexual misconduct.
