Sen. Ed Markey wants to continue pushing for President Trump’s impeachment after the commander in chief’s threat to demolish Iran’s civilian infrastructure amid the war with Tehran.
In an interview with CNN’s “The Situation Room” on Wednesday, the Massachusetts Democrat said his party “must proceed towards the goal of removing Donald Trump from office, and we must do this now.”
Mr. Markey called for the move in response to Mr. Trump saying “a whole civilization will die” if Iran did not comply with his Tuesday night deadline to comply with his ultimatum. This prompted a frenzy of demands for the president’s removal, with Democrats calling for Cabinet officials and Vice President J.D. Vance to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him.
Mr. Markey said Mr. Trump’s eviction is crucial before “he causes incalculable and unfathomable harm.”
In the end, Mr. Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran less than two hours before his deadline for Iran to reopen the blockaded Strait of Hormuz or face massive destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Co-host Pamela Brown asked the senator if impeachment is productive or feasible with Republicans in control of Congress and since the president did not kill Iran’s entire civilization.
Mr. Markey replied that “Democrats must proceed with the filing of the impeachment articles.”
“We need to work as hard as we can to put the Republican Party, which is morally bankrupt, which is spineless, which wants to be in a witness protection program, even as moral atrocities are being planned in their name — we must proceed towards the goal of removing Donald Trump from office, and we must do this now. And that has to be the Democratic agenda.”
The White House called reports about impeachment talks “pathetic.”
“Democrats have been talking about impeaching President Trump since before he was even sworn into office,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Axios on Tuesday. “The Democrats in Congress are deranged, weak and ineffective, which is why their approval ratings are at historic lows.”
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said Wednesday that the Senate will try again next week to pass a war powers resolution that would put limits on the president’s military authority in Iran.
The House and Senate have failed repeatedly to pass the measure that would force Mr. Trump to seek congressional approval for further military action in Iran.
