It’s been another insane week in U.S. government, with Donald Trump Jr. causing a stir when news broke of an meeting he had with a Russian lawyer last summer. Now it might be his dad’s turn for more intense attention. According to Teen Vogue, formal articles of impeachment were filed against President Donald Trump in a press conference held by Democratic rep Brad Sherman. Working alongside Democrat Representative Al Green, Sherman has begun the first formal legislation in favor of Trump’s impeachment.
The men’s articles of impeachment were filed under the title “Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.” Each article of impeachment lists a charge against Trump, calling for a majority vote to pass through the House of Representatives and eventually reach the Senate. Sharman announced in a statement that he and Green have called for hearings of Trump’s “obstruction of justice” and his connection to the “Russian interference in our election.”
I have introduced H.Res. 438 Articles of #Impeachment of Donald J. Trump for Obstruction of Justice. Statement here: https://t.co/0gKr8ZFg3cpic.twitter.com/yUTDAnPFuJ
— Rep. Brad Sherman (@BradSherman) July 12, 2017
In his statement, Sherman addressed both possible outcomes of filing an impeachment, including his hope that his actions would “inspire an ‘intervention’ in the White House.” However, he didn’t hesitate to discuss the more likely resolution. “Filing Articles of Impeachment is the first step on a very long road,” he wrote. “But if the impulsive incompetency continues, then eventually—many, many months from now—Republicans will join the impeachment effort.”
Green previously called for Trump’s impeachment back in May, saying then, “The American people are a part of this democracy…The American people should speak up, speak out, stand up so that we will get a sense of what American people want.”
According to The Washington Post, the chances of impeachment pleas reaching the required two-thirds majority vote in the Republican-dominated Senate are low. Other Democratic leaders have even avoided association with Sherman’s actions because they believe the filing will only “energize the president’s supporters.”
It may not be worth it to call too much attention to these representatives' decision, but the status of the impeachment filings will definitely be interesting to follow.