Former US President Donald Trump is reportedly pressing members of the Republican party in Congress to pass a resolution aimed at symbolically expunging his two impeachments from the official record. This initiative, which has been confirmed by a White House official and initially reported by the Wall Street Journal, seeks to provide Mr Trump with a symbolic victory regarding what he views as politically motivated proceedings during his time in office.
Mr Trump holds the unique distinction of being the only US president to have been impeached twice. His first impeachment occurred in 2019, stemming from allegations that he abused his presidential power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, who was then a political rival. He was subsequently acquitted by the Senate in February 2020. The second impeachment followed the attack on the US Capitol on 6th January 2021, with members of Congress accusing him of inciting an insurrection. Despite leaving office, he was again acquitted by the Senate.
While Mr Trump and his allies view a congressional resolution as a repudiation of what they describe as partisan efforts, constitutional scholars have pointed out that the US Constitution does not include any procedure for formally undoing or reversing an impeachment once it has taken place. Consequently, any such resolution would primarily serve as a political declaration rather than carrying any substantive legal weight or altering the historical fact of the impeachments.
The push to revisit these impeachments is likely to reignite debates surrounding some of the most controversial events of Mr Trump's presidency, particularly as Republicans prepare for next year's midterm elections. Critics, including political commentators and Democratic representatives, have questioned the strategic wisdom of this move, suggesting it risks drawing renewed attention to the very allegations Mr Trump would prefer to see consigned to history. Ted Lieu, a Democratic representative who served as an impeachment manager, has publicly welcomed the idea of new hearings to remind the public of the circumstances surrounding the impeachments.
Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, has defended the proposal, characterising the impeachments as 'phoney attacks' orchestrated by 'Trump-deranged Democrats'. She stated that 'sane individuals' are now recognising these efforts as 'sham efforts' and are interested in 'undoing those shameful actions', asserting that Mr Trump remains focused on the American people. However, Adam Schiff, a California Senator and lead impeachment manager in the first trial, dismissed the effort as futile, stating there is 'no expunging the stain' of the impeachments and that Mr Trump's priority remains himself.
Historically, Mr Trump is one of only three US presidents to be impeached, following Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998, both of whom were acquitted by the Senate. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before the House could vote on articles of impeachment related to the Watergate scandal. Since leaving office, Mr Trump has consistently framed the impeachments as part of a broader campaign by political opponents to undermine him.
Source: The Wall Street Journal