Politics
Dem Rep. Humiliated After ‘Trump Impeachment Rally’ Goes Terribly Awry
It was supposed to be a bold stand against President Donald Trump. Instead, it turned into an awkward embarrassment on the steps of a federal building.
Michigan Democrat Rep. Shri Thanedar stood nearly alone at what was billed as a pro-impeachment rally in support of his articles to remove Trump from office. But the crowd — or lack thereof — told a different story. A few staffers, scattered onlookers, and a photographer were all that showed up as Thanedar addressed an almost empty sidewalk in Troy, Michigan.
The event’s failure comes just days after Thanedar blindsided his own party by filing multiple articles of impeachment against President Trump over the deportation of Kilmar Ábrego García — a suspected MS-13 gang member with connections to a convicted human trafficker. The move caught fellow Democrats off guard and drew swift backlash from within his caucus.
“Yikes. Look at the ‘crowds’ Shri Thanedar is pulling in support for his articles of Impeachment against President Trump. Just sad,” Benny Johnson wrote on X.
Yikes. Look at the “crowds” Shri Thanedar is pulling in support for his articles of Impeachment against President Trump.
Just sad. pic.twitter.com/BB2WnAksce
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 6, 2025
According to a report from Axios, four House Democrats were originally listed as co-sponsors on Thanedar’s articles but have since withdrawn, stating they were misled into thinking party leadership supported the effort. One of them was reportedly added based on a “vague one-on-one conversation” without even informing their staff.
The response from Democrat leadership has been cold and dismissive.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, told Axios bluntly, “I don’t think so,” when asked if impeachment was on the table. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said the withdrawals indicate members needed to “think through, collectively, the timing of it.”
Behind the scenes, anonymous Democrats weren’t holding back.
WATCH:
“This is a self-own that … fundamentally undermines our capacity to continue to have a conversation with people we need to win over,” one Democratic lawmaker reportedly said. Another added, “The guy got impeached twice, how did it work out for us?”
One Democrat source called the move “self-serving,” speculating that it was more about protecting his seat than checking presidential authority. The timing certainly didn’t help: Thanedar introduced the articles just hours after a primary challenger entered the race, following months of pressure from local Democrats to replace him.
Even Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), no stranger to impeachment talk himself, chimed in with a procedural rebuke. According to Politico, Nadler’s office emailed other lawmakers urging them to confirm staff approval before adding names as co-sponsors to legislation, saying “members can walk away with different impressions of a conversation.”
“I don’t think any of us want to learn that their boss was added to a bill that’s been introduced from a Google Alert,” Nadler’s office wrote.
Thanedar, for his part, remains defiant.
“My constituents elected me to do what I think is right,” he told Axios. “These were articles that I drafted, without any other members. As more offices analyze the articles, I hope more will come on board.”
But judging by the lonely optics on the courthouse steps and the near-universal disapproval from his colleagues, it’s clear that Thanedar’s solo act has not struck the chord he hoped.
