Before Christmas, Rep. Al Green says he will file new articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, pledging to move quickly when speaking to supporters in Washington, D.C.
“There will be articles of impeachment filed before the Christmas break, this I will pledge to you,” Green told the crowd.
From there, Green explained that the articles would be brought forward as a privileged motion. This type of motion forces the House to consider it, even when leaders might prefer to avoid it. Green did not mention the exact charges, but he made clear that he wants the House to act before lawmakers leave town for the holidays.
As soon as Green spoke, the news spread fast. The idea of another impeachment attempt might sound familiar, and for good reason.
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Trump was impeached twice during his first term. The Senate cleared him both times. Even now, with Republicans in control of the House, another impeachment has almost no chance of passing.
From here, Green’s move adds pressure on both parties. For Democrats, it is a show of force. For Republicans, it is another moment where they must decide whether to defend the president or distance themselves from his controversies.
This is not Green’s first effort this year. Back in May, he introduced articles of impeachment, claiming Trump was “unfit to be President.” And earlier in April, Representative Shri Thanedar filed 7 articles of impeachment that focused on Trump’s use of the Department of Government Efficiency and on what Thanedar called “damaging tariffs” aimed at America’s trading partners.
Green said he did not ask House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries or any other Democratic leaders for permission before announcing his new plan. He also did not offer details about which actions he believes rise to impeachment. For now, the timing is the only part he is certain about.
Political experts are not expecting much movement. Heath Brown, an associate professor of public policy at City University of New York, told Newsweek, “Based on what has occurred thus far, I don’t think these articles of impeachment will go very far.”
Earlier in the year, Green told Newsweek, “I am Al Green, an unbought, unbossed, unafraid, liberated Democrat. I will speak truth to power, which is pretty easy to do. You simply say, ‘Power, we have a problem. Let’s solve it. I will do that, but I’ll also speak truth about power and say, power, we have a problem, and you’re it.’”
Trump, on the other hand, has dismissed impeachment attempts as political noise. At a rally in April, he joked about lawmakers filing new charges. “Today they did it again. Some guy that I’ve never heard of…is he a congressman? This guy, he said… ‘ladies and gentlemen, I am going to start the impeachment of Donald Trump.’ What the hell did I do? Here we go again.”
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
