WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic representative is temporarily withdrawing from an unsanctioned attempt to initiate impeachment proceedings.

President Donald Trump

following criticism from members of his own party who dismissed the initiative and declined to back it.


Representative Shri Thaneder from Michigan

Isn’t giving up on his plan to impeach Trump, stating that, as an immigrant, he aims to do everything possible to safeguard America’s Constitution and its institutions. However, with his party leaders against him, Thanedar cautiously stepped back late Wednesday from pushing for a vote that was destined to be unsuccessful.

Rather than stopping here, I intend to include additional charges in my articles of impeachment and keep rallying the support from both Democrats and Republicans to stand together in defending the Constitution,” Thanedar stated on social media. He mentioned that further violations might be included in the resolution, such as Trump’s intention to receive a complimentary replacement for Air Force One.

from Qatar.

“I will continue to pursue all avenues to put this President on notice and hold him accountable for his many impeachable crimes,” Thanedar said.

This marks the third time Trump has faced this situation.

impeachment efforts

after being twice impeached during his first term as president — first in 2019 on charges related to

withholding of military assistance to Ukraine

as it confronted Russia and later on a charge of

inciting insurrection

over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by

a group of his followers

. Trump was

acquitted both times

by the Senate.

Thanedar’s reversal followed multiple conversations with his fellow House Democrats in the halls of Congress and private talks with senior party leaders who urged him to reconsider.

“As I tried to explain to him, having been around the track a couple of times on this, it’s not enough to be right,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who served as the lead manager for Trump’s second impeachment. Raskin noted that impeachment “as a constitutional matter is a mixed question of law and politics,” and that, for the moment, Democrats lacked the needed power to mount a successful effort.

When asked if Democrats might file impeachment proceedings in a subsequent congress if they regain control, Raskin responded, “Who can say? So much could change from now until then.”

Thanedar is not the only Democrat who has signaled support for impeachment efforts against Trump. But his decision to go it almost alone comes as

he faces his own political challenges at home

, with several primary opponents looking to unseat him in his Detroit-area congressional district.

House Democratic leaders called his resolution a poorly timed distraction as they work to generate opposition to the Republican tax cut bill.

“Right now, our focus is on health care being stripped away from the American people,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, chair of the House Democratic Caucus. “That is the most urgent and dire thing that we could be talking about this week.”

Aguilar added that Trump “is no stranger to impeachment” but said Thanedar’s proposal is “not ripe and not timely” given the Republican push to approve their tax package.

Other Democrats agreed that the party should be focused on Republican efforts to cut spending on important programs that Americans rely on, such as Medicaid and nutrition assistance.

“There’s no support for an impeachment resolution. There have been no hearings on compiling a record for which impeachment can be based. And this is just a procedure that’s meaningless at this point,” said Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga. ”The sponsor is out of sync with the mood and the trajectory of House Democrats.”

What we should be concentrating on is how Republicans are reducing access to healthcare, cutting nutrition support for underfed children, and providing tax breaks to the richest Americans and big businesses,” stated Rick Larsen, D-Wash. “This resolution isn’t about those issues.

In the meantime, House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is a strong supporter of Trump, criticized Thanedar’s impeachment attempt calling it a “fraud,” an “embarrassing political maneuver,” and “detached from reality.” He assured that members of his party would reject this initiative.

Thanedar’s resolution alleging that Trump engaged in “high crimes and misdemeanors” was presented as Trump is

journeying through the Middle East

During his initial significant overseas journey of his second term, he broke an unwritten rule in American politics: not disparaging the current president after crossing beyond U.S. territorial waters.

However, Thanedar mentioned that he continued his efforts partly due to Trump’s foreign visit and the possible conflicts of interest since the president seems to be involved.

blending his private financial affairs with his official presidential responsibilities

.

“My constituents want me to act,” Thanedar told The Associated Press late Tuesday.

“It’s time for us to rise and voice our opinions. We shouldn’t be concerned with whether ‘this is the appropriate moment’ or if ‘we will prevail in this struggle.’ The focus should be on what’s morally correct,” he stated.

The impeachment of a president or other U.S. officials, which was previously uncommon, has grown more frequent in Congress over time.

Republicans in the House opened

an impeachment inquiry

into then-President Joe Biden, a Democrat, but stopped short of action. The Republicans in Congress did, however,

impeach Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

. The Senate dismissed two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas,

ending his trial

.

Thanedar, who’s from India, has said he came to the United States without many resources. He said he loves the U.S. and wants to defend its Constitution and institutions.

When he took over the Detroit congressional district, it was the first time in decades that the city was left without a Black lawmaker in Congress.

___

Staff writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.