House Democratic Caucus Chair Peter Aguilar said Wednesday that Democrats are not focused on impeaching President Trump, after the president warned Republican lawmakers that Democrats will try to impeach him a third time if they win back control of the House this year.
Mr. Aguilar, California Democrat, said House Democrats are focused on continuing to “offer oversight and accountability to him and to anyone who serves in that office.”
“But it says a lot about Donald Trump, just [that] he’s not concerned about the costs that people face,” he told reporters. “He’s not concerned about specific policies. It’s just about consolidating power and how this affects him.”
The president told House GOP members Tuesday that Republicans need to maintain control of the House and the Senate in the November midterms or he’ll be impeached a third time by Democrats.
“You’ve got to win the midterms,” Mr. Trump said. “If we don’t win the midterms…they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I’ll get impeached.”
Mr. Aguilar said it was no surprise to hear where Mr. Trump’s priorities lie.
“Donald Trump is about one thing — Donald Trump. That’s all this is about,” Mr. Aguilar said. “Everything he does is about him, his name and his family, and how they benefit from it. He’s not talking about why the American people would benefit if House Republicans stayed in power. He’s talking about how House Democrats will hurt him.”
“We don’t care,” he said.
The chairman said House Republicans have been “unwililng and unable” to provide oversight and accountability over the president’s actions, so the responsibility has to fall to the Democrats.
“We’re going to have to do it,” he said. “The American public might have to wait a year to see that, but we’re willing to do that if we’re privileged to be in the majority.”
Several Democrats have already called for the impeachment of Mr. Trump. Rep. Al Green, Texas Democrat, has introduced two impeachment resolutions against him in the House. Both faced votes in the chamber but were defeated.
Rep. Delia Ramirez, Illinois Democrat, called for Mr. Trump’s impeachment over the military actions taken in Venezuela last weekend for what she called his “illegal, dangerous violations of international and US law that put us all at risk.”
Rep. Dan Goldman, New York Democrat, also labeled the actions taken in the South American country as an “impeachable offense.”
And Democrat Maxine Waters of California said “many Democrats have understandably questioned whether impeachment is possible again under the current political reality.”
The House impeached Mr. Trump twice his first term, and the Senate acquitted him both times.
Mr. Aguilar said no matter what the president’s next moves are, House Democrats need to focus on what they can do.
“This is a lawless president who doesn’t believe in norms or rules, and so it would not surprise any of us if he continued down a path that should lead to repercussions,” he said. “We need to speak to the issues that the American public cares about, which is in this realm, we can ask tough questions. We should demand answers from the administration, but there are limited tools that we have here. I know that that’s not popular among everyone, but that’s the reality of the situation.”
