Trump and allies push to void his two impeachments

Trump and Allies Push Plan to Void First-Term Impeachments

President Donald Trump and his allies have discussed pushing lawmakers to pass a resolution aimed at voiding his two first-term impeachments, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Thursday. The effort, which would seek to formally expunge the 2019 and 2021 House votes from the congressional record, is not expected to be pursued until after the November midterm elections.reuters

A Resolution Already in Motion

The push builds on legislative groundwork already laid by Rep. Darrell Issa of California, who in April introduced H.Res.1211, a resolution to expunge both the December 18, 2019, and January 13, 2021, impeachments of Trump. The measure has attracted more than 20 Republican cosponsors and the backing of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who called both impeachments “politically motivated” and praised Issa for “leading the fight to expunge this sham from the record”.govinfo

Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed openness to the measure. Johnson, who as a rank-and-file congressman in 2022 co-sponsored an earlier expungement resolution introduced by then-Rep. Markwayne Mullin, has in recent months focused on rallying Republicans around the midterm elections, warning that a Democratic takeover of the House could lead to a third impeachment of Trump.newsweek

Constitutional Experts Cast Doubt

Legal scholars have consistently questioned whether expungement carries any constitutional weight. George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said in 2023 that impeachment “is not akin to a constitutional DUI; once you are impeached, you are impeached”. The Constitution provides no mechanism for undoing an impeachment once the House has voted, and analysts describe the effort as largely symbolic since Trump was already acquitted by the Senate in both cases.poliscore

Fox News acknowledged that critics, including legal scholars, argue the House “cannot erase the historical fact of an impeachment or undo the constitutional process once it has occurred”. A congressional analysis of Issa’s resolution noted it would have “negligible direct budgetary effects” and that its “main effect would be symbolic and historical”.crooksandliars

Midterm Calculations

The timing reflects broader Republican anxieties about the November 3 elections. Trump warned House Republicans in January that losing the midterms would lead to his impeachment, telling them at a policy retreat, “You have to win the midterms because if we don’t win, they will find a reason to impeach me”. Recent polling averages show Democrats leading the generic congressional ballot by roughly four points, and House Republicans hold a narrow majority that has already shown cracks on key votes.northjersey