Fresh off the resounding defeat of Rep. Shri Thanedar’s (D-MI) impeachment resolution—filed over the deportation of an illegal immigrant with alleged ties to MS-13 and human trafficking—Rep. Al Green (D-TX) is once again urging his colleagues to pursue impeachment against what he calls the “authoritarian” president.
“I pen this communique with a heavy heart, driven by a conscience that will not allow me to ignore my well-founded, strong pre-election condemnation of Donald John Trump as a threat to American democracy that has now become our reality,” Green wrote in a letter urging his colleagues to impeach the president. Green, who is familiar with failed impeachment efforts, argued that a constitutional crisis is not necessary to impeach a president.
On Thursday, the Democrat lawmaker formally filed H. Res. 415, “Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors.” In the articles of impeachment, Rep. Al Green accuses President Trump of engaging in “authoritarian” behavior and disregarding court orders.
He also alleges that Trump endorsed “untruthful statements” about the judiciary’s ruling in the deportation case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national in the U.S. illegally who is suspected of having ties to MS-13 and human trafficking networks.
An authoritarian does not have to commit a codified statutory offense to be impeached. The constitutional law that authoritarian President Trump would have Congress use to impeach a federal judge for ruling against him (Article II, Section 4 of the United States Constitution) is the same law that has been used, and can be used, to impeach him again for making his threats to democracy a reality,” Green wrote in the articles of impeachment.
Green’s attempt to push for impeachment is unlikely to receive significant support from House Democrats. Party leaders were angered by Thanedar’s rushed decision to file impeachment articles last week. House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA) referred to the effort as poorly planned and stated that it was “not the right approach.”
“I’ll join members of the leadership team in voting to table that motion,” Aguilar said Wednesday, adding that the lone lawmaker’s motion has become a “distraction” for the Democratic Party as they attempt to combat Republican spending proposals.
Green, who unsuccessfully attempted to impeach Trump on numerous occasions in his first term, said he is not afraid to “stand alone” on the current effort. “I encourage all members to vote with their conscience. As for me, I stand where I have stood on impeachment, which is a question of conscience, even when the odds are against me — it is better for me to stand alone than not stand at all — it won’t be the first time,” Green wrote.
