Politics
NEW: AOC’s Impeachment Push Fizzles Out After Dem Senator Stabs Her In The Back
Efforts by “Squad” Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) and others to impeach President Donald Trump for striking Iran hit a brick wall on Monday when one of the Democrats’ swing senators said the proposal would be dead on arrival in his chamber.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who has supported Trump’s decision to strike Iran on Sunday, scuttled rumors that Democrats would seek to pressure Republicans into taking up impeachment proceedings against Trump. The already outlandish idea gathered steam after Democratic leaders accused President Trump of acting unconstitutionally by starting a “war,” a power only afforded to Congress.
“Of course, no [he should not be impeached],” the Pennsylvania Democrat told Fox News on Monday.
“She knows it. I know it. We all know it… that’s not going anywhere. He’s been impeached twice, and now he’s still our president as well too, so it’s not going anywhere, and I don’t think [bringing it up is] helpful.”
Fetterman’s remarks come after AOC floated the prospect of impeachment Trump for a historic third time after 14 “bunker buster” bombs landed on Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers,” the Bronx lawmaker wrote shortly after news of the strike became public.
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Throwing around the term “impeachment” also serves to cheapen its meaning, Fetterman suggested.
“I think if you throw that term around, that actually diminishes the severity of what impeachment is really reserved for,” he added.
AOC’s call was answered by progressive Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL).
“I’m not saying we have the votes to impeach,” Casten added. “I’m saying that you DO NOT do this without Congressional approval,” he wrote on social media.
However, other leader Democrats were more circumspect in their responses to the strike.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) claimed Trump “failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.”
“Donald Trump shoulders complete and total responsibility for any adverse consequences that flow from his unilateral military action,” Jeffries added in a statement.
On Sunday, Vice President J.D. Vance sought to defend Trump’s ability to carry out a preemptive strike before Iran could retaliate against Israel, potentially even striking U.S. outposts across the region.
“First of all, the president has clear authority to act to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,” Vice President J.D. Vance said in an interview Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “The idea that this was outside of presidential authority, I think any real serious legal person would tell you that’s not true.”
GOP Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) pointed to previous military engagements by former presidents as examples showing Trump was within his right to order the initial U.S. strike.
“For my colleagues that are now demanding impeachment, it is absolutely absurd,” Lawler argued on “Fox & Friends” “Barack Obama attacked Libya, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen during his tenure and never once did they call for impeachment. So, these folks are truly reaching new levels of Trump derangement in the aftermath of yesterday’s decision.”
