A legislator from the Democratic Party is initiating an independent move to impeach President Trump, overriding party leaderships on Wednesday as they strive to compel a procedural ballot in the U.S. House which is anticipated to be unsuccessful.

Representative Shri Thaneder from Michigan declared his plans to move forward with proceedings, stating that due to being an immigrant to America, he aims to exert every effort necessary to safeguard the nation’s Constitution and institutions from President Trump’s disregard for legal norms. The resolution put forth includes seven articles of impeachment targeting the GOP president.

” Donald J. Trump has been engaging in criminal activities since his inauguration — including acts of bribery, corruption, usurping congressional authority, establishing an illegal position within the DOGE organization, infringing upon First Amendment rights, and disregarding due process,” stated the congressman previously from the House floor.

This would mark the third occasion that Trump has encountered an impeachment attempt, following two instances during his initial presidential term—he was impeached for the first time in 2019 due to allegations about holding back military assistance from Ukraine amid tensions with Russia, and then again shortly after on accusations of incitement stemming from the Capitol riot led by his followers on January 6, 2021. Both previous occasions concluded with acquittals passed by the Senate.

Thanedar isn’t the sole Democrat pushing for impeachment proceedings against Trump. However, his choice to pursue this path independently, lacking support from top-party leaders, coincides with his personal political struggles back home. He’s dealing with multiple challengers vying to replace him in his Detroit-based House constituency.

Timing is also key. His resolution claiming Trump committed “high crimes and misdemeanors” comes as Trump is traveling in the Middle East in his first major trip abroad of his second term, violating a norm in American politics of not criticizing the president once he leaves the U.S.

But Thanedar said he was pressing ahead in part because of Trump’s trip abroad and the potential conflicts of interest as the president appears to be mixing his personal business dealings with his presidential duties and is considering accepting a lavish gift of an airplane from the Qatari government.

“My voters expect me to take action,” Thanedar informed the Associated Press on Tuesday evening.

It’s time for us to rise and voice our concerns. We shouldn’t concern ourselves with whether ‘this is the opportune moment’ or ‘if we will prevail.’ The focus should be on what’s morally correct,” he stated. “I swore to uphold and safeguard the Constitution. This pledge was also made by Mr. Trump. Yet, he has breached his vow and engaged in actions contrary to constitutional principles. Now is the moment when somebody needs to assert themselves and point this out; even if I am that person, then let it be.

Thanedar is using a procedural tool to force a vote Wednesday on whether to proceed to the issue or shelve the matter.

A leading supporter of Trump, Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia, condemned Thanedar and downplayed the impeachment attempt.

“It’s DOA,” she posted on social media.

Impeachment of a president or other U.S. officials, once rare, has become an increasingly common in Congress.

Republicans in the House opened an impeachment inquiry into then-President 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, hailing from India, mentioned that when he arrived in the United States, he had limited resources at his disposal. He expressed his love for the country and his desire to protect its Constitution and institutions.

Upon taking charge of the Detroit congressional district, it marked the first occasion in many years that the city remained unrepresented by an African American legislator in Congress.


Mascaro, Brown, and Askarinam pen articles for the Associated Press.

This tale initially surfaced in

Los Angeles Times

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