Whelp, that was fast. Donald Trump is now facing the first formal threat of impeachment during his second term. Texas Representative Al Green took the matter to the U.S. House on Wednesday, Feb. 5, announcing his intention to file Articles of Impeachment in response to Trump’s controversial statements regarding Gaza. Green condemned the president’s remarks as “a desperate deed” and accused him of promoting actions that could be interpreted as ethnic cleansing.
It all went down in a passionate speech; Green referenced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., stating, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. And injustice in Gaza is a threat to justice in the United States of America.” He added, “The movement to impeach the president has begun. I rise to announce that I will bring Articles of Impeachment against the president for dastardly deeds proposed and dastardly deeds done.” Green emphasized his commitment to justice, even if it meant standing alone: “On some issues, it is better to stand alone than not stand at all. On this issue, I stand alone, but I stand for justice.”
Now get this: Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland also spoke about the potential for impeachment, with discussions centering around Trump’s use of executive powers. When asked if he would pursue impeachment over alleged “illegal executive overreach,” Raskin responded, “Find me two Republicans, and I’ll go to work tomorrow.”
This action marks Trump’s first impeachment threat during his second presidency, although he was impeached twice during his first term. The first impeachment came in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his attempt to get Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election. The second occurred in 2021 for his role in inciting the January 6 Capitol riots. Trump was acquitted in both cases.
