Right now, Democrats are talking an awful lot about gun control. It’s a major campaign issue in the Democratic Presidential Primary and also in congressional races all over the country. Many are blasting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for not voting on legislation that wouldn’t pass in the first place and, even if it were, wouldn’t be signed by the president.

They’re talking a lot about gun control, but as Vice President Mike Pence notes, they tossed out the chance to actually have it in exchange for impeachment nonsense.

Vice President Mike Pence said congressional Democrats abandoned reforms on gun control, health care and opioid abuse in favor of impeaching President Donald Trump. Pence, speaking in a wide-ranging Monday interview with PBS’ Judy Woodruff, said Democrats have chosen a “reckless pursuit of impeachment” rather than potential progress on bipartisan domestic reforms. Pence said the Trump administration was working with both Republicans and Democrats over the summer to come up with changes to gun laws and combating opioid addiction. But Democratic leaders including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Pence said, decided to “spend all their political capital on investigations” he described as meaningless political impeachment fights. Pence repeatedly called on Americans as a whole to let “their voice be heard” on Capitol Hill and to encourage Democrats to give up what he lamented as a secretive impeachment inquiry. “This summer, we were talking with Republicans and Democrats about possible solutions that could go forward. Now, we’ll always protect the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms of the American people, but there are things that we can do that would make the country safer,” Pence said Monday evening. “We have a crisis of opioid abuse and addiction in this country. Our administration has made historic investments in supporting local law enforcement and healthcare providers,” he continued. Instead of pursuing reforms on immigration, guns and the economy, Pence added, Democrats have “gone by the boards in this reckless pursuit of impeachment.”

He’s right, of course.

The moment Pelosi started with impeachment, she removed any incentive President Trump had to work with Democrats on anything. Trump was upsetting a lot of his base just by talking about gun control, yet he was doing it. When Democrats jumped on impeachment, Trump likely knew he would need that based solidly on his side. That meant he couldn’t fold on an issue like guns, not if he wanted to hold onto his office.

What’s more, House Democrats have to recognize the futility of their actions. They have to understand that even if they impeach–something that’s not a slam dunk, even with their control of the House–there’s little chance the Senate is going to remove the president from office. Not unless they find something a whole lot more substantial than what we’ve seen so far.

Democrats tossed their best shot at gun reform in a pathetic attempt at political theater.

Thanks, Democrats.

(Please file that under “stuff I never thought I’d say with a straight face.”)