Surprising move, three House Democrats have pulled their support from an impeachment resolution targeting President Trump, signaling hesitation within the party to pursue impeachment — at least for now. Reps. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), and Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) had initially co-sponsored the resolution introduced by Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), which includes seven articles of impeachment. However, on Tuesday, the three lawmakers requested that their names be removed, and the House clerk granted their request.
Spokespeople for Mfume and Kelly explained that their decision to co-sponsor the resolution was made under the assumption that it had been reviewed by Democratic leadership. Once they learned it hadn’t been fully vetted, they chose to withdraw their support. A spokesperson for Mfume stated, “He removed himself because he was made aware it was not cleared by Democratic leadership and not fully vetted legally.” Similarly, Kelly’s spokesperson echoed the sentiment, clarifying that she had believed the resolution had been properly reviewed by both the House Judiciary Committee and leadership when she initially signed on.
While Nadler’s office has not commented on the situation, this shift leaves just one lawmaker still backing the impeachment effort — Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who signed on just hours before the other lawmakers pulled their support.
Despite the pullback, Thanedar remains firm in his stance. In a statement, he expressed that his decision to introduce the resolution was based on his belief that Trump had blatantly violated the Constitution. “I cannot speak for the actions of other members. But I am doing this because Trump has blatantly violated the constitution,” Thanedar said.
This retreat from impeachment came just hours after Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, publicly stated that Democrats are not willing to pursue efforts to remove Trump from office. Citing the Republican-controlled Congress, Aguilar said, “Impeachment is, at times, a tool that can be used. This president is no stranger to that; he’s been impeached twice… but we don’t have any confidence that House and Senate Republicans would do their jobs.”
Thanedar’s impeachment resolution, which was introduced on the 99th day of Trump’s second term, accuses the president of seven distinct articles: obstruction of justice, violation of due process, abuse of trade powers, and violations of First Amendment rights, among others. According to Thanedar, Trump’s actions, including what he described as the “meme coin pump and dump scheme” and unlawful dismissal of charges, have pushed him to act. “He completely ignored our system of checks and balances,” Thanedar added, explaining his frustration with Trump’s handling of various issues, including the treatment of deported individuals.
As this drama unfolds, it remains unclear whether more Democrats will join the ranks of those distancing themselves from the impeachment resolution or whether Thanedar’s bold move will gain any further traction in Congress.
