Trump impeachment bid fizzles out as progressive bows to fellow Dems’ pressure

A lone House Democrat who had been pushing for the impeachment of President Donald Trump has decided to back down from his efforts after facing pressure from fellow liberals. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., had been aiming to force a vote on his seven articles of impeachment against Trump this week through a privileged resolution that would have required the House to address the legislation within two days of being in session.

However, Democratic leaders, including House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., expressed their opposition to the move, with Aguilar calling it a “distraction.” House Progressive Caucus Chairman Greg Casar, D-Texas, also pushed back against the effort, labeling it as “unserious.”

After facing criticism from his colleagues, Thanedar announced that he would not proceed with trying to force the vote. This decision came after House GOP leaders had planned to hold a vote to table the measure, effectively blocking a House-wide vote on impeachment.

In a statement following his decision, Thanedar explained, “In the fifteen days since I filed seven articles of impeachment against President Trump, he has committed more impeachable offenses, most dangerously, accepting a $400 million private jet from Qatar, which even Republican Members of Congress have called wrong.” He went on to say that he would continue to rally support from both Democrats and Republicans to defend the Constitution.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., acknowledged that he had discussions with Thanedar regarding the impeachment effort, but did not comment further on whether he had pressured him to drop the motion.

The resolution put forth by Thanedar had caused some tension among Democratic lawmakers, at a time when the party has been grappling with messaging following the 2024 election. Aguilar emphasized that he believed pushing for impeachment was not the right approach at the moment and stated that he would join other members of the leadership team in voting to table the motion.

Despite the pushback from his colleagues, Thanedar remained steadfast in his beliefs, stating, “Even some Democrats call me a lunatic, just like the president has called me a lunatic. But they have never said to me, ‘Mr. Thanedar, the seven articles of impeachment that you presented to the U.S. Congress, they’re a piece of s—. They’re not good. You missed it, missed the point. They are not legally right.’ They didn’t do that. No one says that.”

As the situation unfolded, House Republicans seized on the disarray within the Democratic Party, with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., calling the impeachment effort a “sham” and an “embarrassing political stunt.” The White House also weighed in, dismissing the impeachment push as a “reckless political act” and emphasizing that President Trump’s actions are lawful and in line with the will of the American people.

In the end, Thanedar’s decision to back down from forcing a vote on impeachment highlighted the divisions within the Democratic Party and the challenges they face in unifying their messaging and priorities. The episode also underscored the ongoing tensions surrounding the legacy of President Trump and the ongoing efforts to hold him accountable for his actions.