Michigan Rep. Thanedar pushes for Trump impeachment vote, sparking fury among his Democrat colleagues

Michigan Rep. Thanedar pushes for Trump impeachment vote, sparking fury among his Democrat colleagues – but later backs down

By ramontomeydw // 2025-05-18

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Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) forced a House vote on a seven-article impeachment resolution against President Trump, sparking backlash from fellow Democrats. The GOP-controlled House is expected to reject it.
Thanedar accused Trump of abuses of power, corruption and "tyranny," including obstruction of justice and First Amendment violations, though legal experts and Democrats dismissed the effort as unserious.
Three co-sponsors withdrew support, citing lack of party approval and legal vetting. Privately, Democrats called the move a "waste of time" and accused Thanedar of using it to boost his reelection bid.
Thanedar denied partisan aims, calling it a constitutional duty, but critics alleged it was a stunt amid his contested primary race against Michigan State Rep. Donavan McKinney. Thanedar later backed down with his efforts to push the vote.
With Republicans controlling the House, Democratic leaders dismissed the push as futile, exposing internal tensions over how aggressively to confront Trump in his second term.

A contentious effort by Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) to force an impeachment vote against President Donald Trump has ignited fury among his Democratic colleagues in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Originally introduced in April, Thanedar moved on Tuesday, May 13, to force an impeachment vote against the president. His resolution, which features seven articles of impeachment, is set for a House vote by Thursday under procedural rules. However, the resolution is sure to be shot down given that the GOP holds a majority in the lower chamber. Thanedar, a first-term congressman, accused Trump of "tearing down" democracy through alleged abuses of power, corruption and "tyranny." His resolution includes charges ranging from obstruction of justice to violations of the First Amendment, though legal experts and even Democratic colleagues have dismissed the effort as unserious. The move has drawn sharp criticism from fellow Democrats, some of whom privately blasted it as a self-serving stunt that distracts from the party’s broader messaging efforts. Thanedar meanwhile denied political motivations, insisting his actions were a constitutional duty. "Mr. Trump has conducted impeachable actions," he told Axios, though he acknowledged not seeking leadership approval.

Democrats ditch Thanedar's impeachment bid

The backlash against Thanedar's motion to impeach was swift. Three House Democrats – Maryland Rep. Kweisi Mfume, Illinois Rep. Robin Kelly and New York Rep. Jerry Nadler – publicly withdrew their support. While the trio initially co-sponsored the measure, they later demanded the removal of their names from it after learning that it lacked approval from party leadership. "It was not fully vetted legally," a spokesperson for Mfume said, reflecting broader concerns about the resolution’s legitimacy. Behind the scenes, House Democrats minced no words in expressing their frustration. Several lawmakers who requested anonymity voiced out their thoughts on the matter to Axios. One unnamed lawmaker called the motion "the dumbest f*****g thing", while another labeled it "a waste of f*****g time." Meanwhile, several accused Thanedar of using impeachment as a ploy to bolster his reelection bid in a contested primary. The first-term congressman faces a challenge from Michigan State Rep. Donavan McKinney, who received an endorsement from Thanedar's progressive colleague Rep. Rashida Tlaib. True enough, Thanedar bowed to pressure and announced that he would pull the motion to impeach the president on Wednesday, May 14 – moments before it was set to be voted on. The congressman said in a post on X that the decision followed talks with his Democratic colleagues. "I will add to my articles of impeachment and continue to rally the support of both Democrats and Republicans to defend the Constitution with me," Thanedar added. Historically, impeachment has been a rare and politically perilous tool – one Democrats employed twice against Trump during his first presidency, only to see him acquitted both times by the Senate. With the GOP now holding the House majority, the current push appears doomed – a reality even Democratic leaders concede. "This is not an exercise that we're willing to undertake," said California Rep. Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic Caucus. (Related: USAID tied to Trump's 2019 impeachment, Shellenberger reports.) The episode underscores the lingering tensions within the Democratic Party over how aggressively to confront Trump. As Thanedar's resolution heads toward a swift dismissal, the spectacle has served less as a legal reckoning for Trump and more as a stark reminder of Democratic disunity. Watch this Fox News report about Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) mentioning that President Trump's conduct has allegedly "exceeded" any standard for impeachment. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

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Democrats ditch Thanedar's impeachment bid

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