'Botched this bad': Insiders say GOPers furious at James Comer for his handling of impeachment inquiry

WASHINGTON — Republicans are growing more and more frustrated with the House Oversight Committee's impeachment hearing, with some beginning to admit it has been a failure.

The Thursday hearing began with the Republicans' own witness, lawyer Jonathan Turley testifying that he doesn't believe there's enough evidence to impeach President Joe Biden.

Stephen Neukam of The Messenger tweeted on Thursday afternoon that anger is growing within the GOP as Republicans flail – and Democrats appear to have their act together.

"Republican aides tell me the impeachment hearing is being overshadowed by spending battle," Neukam posted on social media. "A House GOP aide told me this would be the biggest story in the country, but is being overshadowed. I asked another if he was paying attention. The answer? 'Spending spending spending.'"

He went on to quote another house staffer: Chairman James "Comer (R-KY) and staff botched this bad"

The aide said the information from the Republicans has been “confusing,” while Democrats appear “on message.”

"How can you not be better prepared for this?" the staffer lamented.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) went so far as to troll Comer in real time, saying, "As a former director of emergency management, I know a disaster when I see one."

When Raw Story caught up with him after the hearing, he called it an "unmitigated disaster for the Republicans. Their own witness says there isn't any evidence to impeach Joe Biden. These guys are going to need a federal declaration. They're going to need FEMA to bail them out, that's how bad the disaster is."

Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman posted on social media that he's hearing the same comments from Republican leadership.

Raw Story caught up with a few other members outside the hearing room to ask how they felt things were going.

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) said when the hearing was announced, "My colleagues and I have spent nine months gathering information, vetting allegations, and establishing the concerning fact pattern upon which this inquiry is based."

Even in the hearing, his questions focused on the timeline of the shutdown and the impeachment hearings. He then pivoted to talk about whistleblowers and information on the investigations.

"I think it's — clearly, the Democrats are trying to lead us away from the purpose of this hearing and that purpose was gaining other peoples' perspective about the use of the inquiry," he said, explaining that the goal wasn't to provide evidence but have a holistic conversation about whether an impeachment was warranted.

"Today, there is not that direct link," Sessions said about the evidence gathered over the past several years. "The purpose of that inquiry is to determine if there is that link."

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) made similar comments, confessing that they don't have any evidence. He explained that the purpose of the first hearing "is to establish the predicate for going to get additional information that the committee needs to finish its investigation."

"Prof. [Jonathan] Turley said in a sense he needs to see more than what's been laid out, but that's the purpose of the inquiry," Donalds continued. "If we felt we had everything necessary for articles of impeachment, we would have dropped articles of impeachment. That's why we're in the inquiry phase, to get that information to get a final determination if an impeachment is warranted or not."

For all of the 2023 session, both the House Judiciary and House Oversight Committees have been investigating Hunter Biden and by extension his father. Comer hasn't explained how this inquiry is different from the previous inquiries.

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) told Raw Story she hasn't been able to watch any of the hearings because she's desperately trying to stop a government shutdown.

"It's just constant dysfunction," she said.

"I'm like, we're shutting down the government and starting an impeachment for no reason," she continued. "They're losing the narrative on shutdown."