An Impeachment Plot Collapses in Real Time
In a display that many are calling political theater at its most tone-deaf, Democratic Representative Shri Thanedar of Michigan abruptly canceled his push to impeach President Donald Trump—just hours before the vote was supposed to happen on the House floor. The move came after fierce backlash, not from Republicans, but from his own Democratic colleagues who saw the effort as ill-timed, ill-conceived, and dead on arrival.
The resolution included seven articles of impeachment accusing Trump of everything from abuse of power to foreign corruption. But in a Republican-controlled House and Senate, the effort stood no chance of passing. That didn’t stop Thanedar, who seemed determined to press forward until he was essentially told to stand down by his own party.
“After talking with many colleagues, I have decided not to force a vote on impeachment today,” Thanedar posted on X. “Instead, 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.”
The idea that any Republicans—let alone enough to matter—would suddenly rally behind an impeachment resolution introduced without party support and while Trump is polling ahead in most battleground states, seems less like a strategy and more like a political fantasy.
Democrats Turn on Their Own
Thanedar’s plan not only lacked bipartisan support, it barely had Democratic support. According to Axios, around 50 Democrats swarmed Thanedar on the House floor before the vote, essentially staging an intervention. One lawmaker told him bluntly, “If you do this, there’s not going to be anyone here in the caucus that wants to have anything to do with you.”
Representative Jerry Nadler called the move “idiotic.” Even Nancy Pelosi, who led two impeachment efforts against Trump during his first term, reportedly sided with Nadler in condemning the plan. Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar dismissed it as “doomed” and “unserious.” Several Democratic co-sponsors had already quietly backed out, claiming they were added by mistake.
Jamie Raskin, who actually managed one of Trump’s previous impeachments, gave Thanedar a civics lesson in real time: “It’s not enough to be right,” Raskin said. “The Constitution demands that you go and work with other people to promote the consensus.” Translation: This isn’t going anywhere—because we don’t have the votes.
What Was Thanedar Thinking?
The articles of impeachment accused Trump of a wide range of offenses: misusing trade powers, banning press outlets from the White House, deporting a man to the wrong country, and accepting a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatar. Thanedar claimed this was part of a broader plan to use the jet as Air Force One during Trump’s presidency, then later transfer it to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
“In the fifteen days since I filed seven articles of impeachment against President Trump, he has committed more impeachable offenses,” Thanedar claimed. “Most dangerously, accepting a $400 million private jet from Qatar, which even Republican Members of Congress have called wrong.”
The problem? None of these charges have been vetted by committees, and no formal investigations have taken place. As Representative Hank Johnson put it, “There have been no hearings… and this is just a procedure that’s meaningless at this point.”
Trump Responds, Critics Pile On
Unsurprisingly, Trump and his allies wasted no time swatting down the attempt. Speaking from his overseas trip in Doha, Trump made no public statement about the vote itself, but the White House issued a sharp rebuke.
“Every action taken by President Trump and his administration is fully lawful and firmly rooted in the will of the American people,” said White House spokesperson Liz Huston. “This desperate impeachment stunt is nothing more than a reckless political act that the American people see right through.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson called the effort “another embarrassing political stunt” and accused Democrats of being more interested in “throwing fits” and “playing political games” than governing. “The contrast has never been more clear,” he said.
Even Democrats Know It’s a Losing Game
Even among Democrats who can’t stand Trump, the strategy made little sense. With Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress, the resolution had zero path to success. Many saw it as a distraction from battles that could actually be won, like fighting Republican efforts to cut federal benefits.
Representative Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said bluntly, “Right now, our focus is on health care being stripped away from the American people. That is the most urgent and dire thing that we could be talking about this week. Everything else is a distraction.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez agreed, saying that with 13.7 million Americans at risk of losing health insurance, “our central focus” needed to be elsewhere. Yet somehow, Thanedar thought this was the moment to launch an impeachment resolution with no hearings, no votes lined up, and no plan.
A Familiar Pattern—and a Warning
Representative Al Green of Texas, who has teased his own articles of impeachment, says he still plans to move forward. Asked whether he’s concerned about facing the same backlash Thanedar did, Green shrugged it off. “I’m already working on multiple articles,” he said.
Meanwhile, Thanedar insists this isn’t about politics but principle. “We can’t worry about whether we’re going to win this battle,” he told reporters. “It’s more about doing the right thing.”
But even some in his district are skeptical. Thanedar, who took over a Detroit-area seat long represented by Black lawmakers, is facing multiple challengers in the upcoming primary. Some see his impeachment crusade as more about building a national profile than addressing local issues.
Still, Democrats like Steve Bannon—who warned on his podcast that if the party wins back the House in 2026, another Trump impeachment will be first on the list—believe this is just the beginning. “The first thing Hakeem Jeffries will do in early 2027 is move to impeach Donald Trump,” Bannon said. “Trust me.”
The Bottom Line
The fact that a Democrat tried to impeach a Republican president with no support, no hearings, and no control of either chamber of Congress isn’t just bold—it borders on absurd. It also reveals the deep divisions within the Democratic Party, as well as a growing desperation to take down Trump by any means, no matter how unlikely.
If anything, this latest failed attempt may strengthen Trump’s hand by making his opponents look disorganized and out of touch. As Thanedar retreats to revise his resolution, one thing is clear: if this was a test balloon, it popped before it even got off the ground.
