House Democratic leaders plan to vote to kill Michigan congressman's Trump impeachment bid

WASHINGTON — House Democratic leaders told rank-and-file members privately Wednesday that they will vote to table U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar's resolution aiming to impeach President Donald Trump ― an announcement that was met by applause by other members of the Democratic caucus, according to a lawmaker in the room.

A vote to table the measure, which is scheduled for around 5 p.m. Eastern time, would effectively kill Thanedar's resolution in the Republican-controlled House just over two weeks after the Detroit Democrat introduced it.

Democratic lawmakers have been furious with Thanedar's timing as a distraction from their counter-messaging on House Republicans' efforts to cut spending on Medicaid and federal food assistance programs. It also forces several Democrats in districts won by Trump last fall to take a tough vote.

At a Wednesday news conference, Thanedar shrugged off criticism from his colleagues and "pressure" from both sides of the aisle to get him to stand down or not show up to the vote later in the day. Now is "absolutely" the right time to send a message to Trump, he said.

"Will I succeed this week? Maybe not, but we'll continue to do this until we have a victory. We'll continue to fight until we have a victory, until we remove this president from office for his unconstitutional, illegal, impeachable misconduct. ... We're not going to give up for any kind of pressure to do that," Thanedar told reporters outside the U.S. Capitol.

"I'm going to ask and appeal to my colleagues on the Democratic side to stand behind me in supporting this. I have not heard a single member of Congress from the Democratic side tell me that this president has not done impeachable conduct. Not one person."

Thanedar, D-Detroit, was flanked by about a dozen supporters holding signs calling to impeach and remove Trump from office. Most were from a group called the MayDay Movement. "Congress do your job," one sign said in bold red.

In response to Thanedar's bid to remove him from office, Trump has called the Detroit congressman "a lunatic" and called on House GOP leaders to "start to think about expelling" him from Congress.

Trump, who was twice impeached in his first term, said on social media that Democrats had "got two 'No Name,' little respected Congressmen, total Whackjobs both, throwing the 'Impeachment' of DONALD J. TRUMP around, for about the 20th time, even though they have no idea for what I would be Impeached."

Trump continued: "The Republicans should start to think about expelling them from Congress for all of the crimes that they have committed, especially around Election time(s). These are very dishonest people that won't let our Country heal! Why do we allow them to continuously use Impeachment as a weapon against the President of the United States who, by all accounts, is working hard to SAVE OUR COUNTRY."

The two-term Detroit Democrat moved Tuesday on the House floor to force a vote on the seven articles of impeachment that he filed in late April. It set off a two-day period during which House Republican leaders have to bring up the resolution.

Thanedar said he was prompted to push for a vote this week after Trump defended plans to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar during his trip to the Middle East.

"Why are they doing that? Does anybody wonder? ... They're just generous people, or they want something in return," Thanedar said Wednesday. "Mr. President, this is not normal."

Critics of the jumbo jet gift have pointed to the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, which bars anyone holding government office from accepting any present, emolument, office or title from any “King, Prince, or foreign State” without congressional consent. White House Press Secretary said the plane is being donated to the U.S. Air Force and not the president.

The seven impeachment articles accuse Trump of obstruction of justice, abuse of executive power and trade powers, usurpation of appropriations powers, bribery and corruption, creation of an unlawful office, violating First Amendment rights and "tyrannical overreach."

Thanedar has gained one co-sponsor for the resolution, Rep. Al Green of Texas, who made multiple attempts to impeach Trump during his first term. In previous sessions of Congress when the chamber was led by Republicans, members voted to table Green's other impeachment resolutions.

Four other Democrats previously withdrew their names as co-sponsors of Thanedar's measure after learning that neither Democratic leadership nor the Judiciary Committee had vetted the resolution.

One Democratic lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Thanedar is perceived by some colleagues as trying to take attention off his Democratic primary opponents, and it is causing some colleagues to consider endorsing one of his challengers in the primary.

Thanedar has denied that his impeachment push has anything to do with his primary challengers, noting that the effort was well underway before his latest challenger, state Rep. Donavan McKinney, declared his campaign, and that the primary election is over a year away.

The congressman on Wednesday also dismissed concerns about forcing vulnerable House Democrats to take a tough vote.

"We gotta take a stand. Look, as a member of Congress, we take hard votes every day," he said. "That's our job to take a hard vote, and they just need to look into not what plays well politically, not what the polls are saying ― we got to do the right thing. That's what you sent us to. ... And we can't worry about that."

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