WASHINGTON, D.C. - Warrensville Heights Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge on Tuesday added her voice to those of other Democrats calling for an impeachment inquiry, attacking President Donald Trump as a “liar” in a powerfully worded five-minute speech on the House of Representatives floor that she said came from a constituent letter.

Fudge’s speech - which she said came from a letter written by a constituent named Rev. Ronald Williams - described many of Trump’s supporters as “racist, steeped in religious beliefs, ignorant, or, as my mother used to say, just plain dumb.”

Fudge - who called for Trump’s impeachment in 2017 - said in the speech that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is hesitant to move forward with efforts to impeach Trump because she’s paying attention to polls and “her belief that it would further polarize the country.”

During today’s Special Morning Hour, I shared a letter from an OH-11 constituent concerning the current administration. Watch the video to view the full floor speech. pic.twitter.com/D3yx7lDECP — Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (@RepMarciaFudge) June 11, 2019

But Fudge said the country is already divided, and maintained Trump’s backers have chosen to support a president with a “proven record of being sexually condescending to women," who has failed to fight resurgent hate organizations like the Ku Klux Klan, is condescending to anyone who challenges him and is “a proven liar."

Her speech claimed Trump’s rise to the Oval Office reveals “the hidden bigotry” and “judgmental attitudes” of many of those who call themselves evangelicals, and his rise means “that the United States is no longer a democracy” governed by the people or its elected representatives.

“The Republicans appear to have become a Trump cult and the Democrats refuse to move against this man in a collective, decisive way,” Fudge continued. “It does not take a genius to discern that this man wants to be a dictator in the truest sense of the word.”

Fudge’s speech is the latest call for action against Trump. Several dozen Democratic House of Representatives members have called for moving forward with impeachment, as has one Republican - Michigan’s Justin Amash.

Among Ohioans, Rep. Tim Ryan of the Niles area, who is mounting a longshot bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, has called for moving forward with impeachment proceedings against Trump, asserting that it’s the “duty and responsibility” of the House of Representatives to act after the obstruction of justice described in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

Other Democrats from Ohio have been more circumspect, with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown saying he doesn’t think it should be imminent, and Rep. Joyce Beatty of the Columbus area and Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo urging more committee investigations.

After Fudge concluded, the Congress member overseeing floor speeches, Texas Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey, reminded Fudge that members of Congress aren’t allowed to “engage in personalities towards the president, including by repeating remarks made elsewhere that would be improper if spoken in the member’s own words."

“You’re out of order,” Indiana Republican Rep. Larry Bucshon told Fudge as she left the microphone.

“So are you,” she replied.

Afterwards, Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken released a statement to denounce Fudge’s rhetoric. Timken’s statement claimed “House Democrats’ shock that President Trump was completely exonerated from the Mueller Report has pushed them to go off the rails in their pursuit of the president.”

“I hope that this was a lapse in judgement from Rep. Fudge,” Timken’s statement continued. “This kind of language serves only to divide not unite – her constituents deserve more. But this goes to show that Democrats care more about playing identity politics than they do about winning back blue-dog Democrats who overwhelmingly supported the president.”

Trump’s re-election campaign responded on Twitter: “Democrats didn’t learn their lesson from Hillary’s huge loss. They are still insulting millions of Americans, this time from the floor of the House of Representatives. It seems all Democrats are offering the country is more hate and hoaxes!”