Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has stopped short of promising to pursue articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump if Democrats regain the majority in Congress — an idea rapidly gaining support on the Left.
Promises of new impeachment charges could become a campaign tactic for Democrats during the midterm elections next year, but Schumer isn’t offering his support at the moment.
During a Sunday appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, the New York senator was pressed on remarks made by Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) just days before.
While at a local town hall meeting, Ossoff told voters he strongly agrees with the idea that Trump should again be impeached. However, he conceded that it would be impossible unless Democrats retake the House of Representatives in the midterm elections.
“There is no doubt that this president’s conduct has already exceeded any prior standard for impeachment by the United States House of Representatives,” Ossoff said.
“I agree with you, but as I said at the beginning, I also have no choice but to be candid with you about the situation that we face and the tools that are at our disposal,” he continued. “As strongly as I agree with you, ma’am — and I regret if this is an unwelcome response, but my job is to be honest with you — the only way to achieve what you want to achieve is to have a majority in the United States House of Representatives.”
When pressed on whether he agreed with Ossoff’s comments, Schumer told host Dana Bash he does believe the president is “violating rule of law in every way.”
However, the minority leader didn’t explicitly label the president’s actions as impeachable.
“We’re fighting him every single day, in every way. And our goal is to show the American people over and over again, whether it’s the economy, whether it’s tariffs, whether it’s Russia and overseas, and whether it’s rule of law, how bad he is,” Schumer said.
He went on to say that the midterm elections are “too far away” to predict what the party might pursue if they regain the majority.
“It’s too far away to even judge,” Schumer said.
Schumer’s remarks come after he was slammed by his Democratic colleagues earlier this year over not taking a stronger stance against the president and Republicans in Congress.
Schumer was primarily criticized for helping Republicans pass their stopgap funding bill, which helped avoid a government shutdown. The minority leader faced numerous calls to step down from his leadership seat.
Ossoff isn’t alone in his support for impeachment charges, as many Democrats within the House have called for Trump to be impeached in recent weeks.
Rep Al Green (D-TX) lambasted the president while speaking on the House floor earlier this month, saying Democrats need to have “the will” to impeach and remove Trump from office.
Others, including Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), and Dwight Evans (D-PA), have expressed support for impeachment.
JON OSSOFF SAYS TRUMP HAS ‘EXCEEDED ANY PRIOR STANDARD FOR IMPEACHMENT’
Volunteer-run organization Citizens’ Impeachment has been tracking the number of lawmakers who have said they would support impeaching Trump. The group lists 16 Democrats in favor and 11 Republicans against. More than 400 have been labeled as “no comment.”
Trump was impeached twice by a Democratic-led House during his first term in office. However, he was later acquitted in both cases by the Senate after the chamber failed to reach a two-third majority required for conviction and removal from office.
