Trump Demands Impeachments Be Expunged from Record
Former President Donald Trump is actively urging lawmakers to nullify his previous impeachments, with the White House characterizing them as baseless political assaults by “deranged Democrats.” Trump conveyed to The Wall Street Journal that Congress should take action to rectify what he perceives as unjust political attacks during his presidency.
“It should be done because I did nothing wrong. It was a rigged deal—it was a whole rigged situation,” Trump stated in the interview. He and his team are advocating for a congressional resolution to void the impeachments.
White House Urges Action on Impeachment Void
White House officials have strongly supported moving forward with this initiative. A spokesperson for the White House, Abigail Jackson, commented, “Trump-deranged Democrats have spent years launching phony attacks against the President and weaponizing the government against him. It’s no surprise that sane individuals are recognizing these sham efforts and are interested in undoing those shameful actions.” Jackson added that President Trump remains focused on serving the American people.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has indicated his openness to such a measure, which has been a topic of discussion in Congress for the past month. Johnson suggested that as more evidence emerges, the impeachments are increasingly understood to have been illegitimate.
Johnson Supports Rectifying ‘Sham Impeachments’
“I think it makes a lot of sense the more the evidence comes out, the more we know they really were sham impeachments,” Johnson stated, emphasizing that it is a priority and something Congress should correct. He further noted that a compelling case exists for expunging them from the record due to their perceived nature as partisan attacks.
In April, a resolution to this effect was introduced by Republican Darrell Issa, with 23 Republican co-sponsors. Johnson echoed the sentiment that the impeachments were a “hyperpartisan attack job.”
Trump Criticizes Congressman Raskin
Trump also directed criticism towards Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland, whom he believes would pursue impeachment again if Democrats regain control of the House. Trump posted on Truth Social, “If Biden didn’t give him a pardon, he’d be in jail right now! Something should be done about people like this who do bad things, but always come up on the short end because of their illegal or unscrupulous behavior, and hurt our Country in the process.” He agreed with a comment from right-wing pundit Mark Levin, suggesting Raskin should be “EXPEL[LED].”
While such a resolution would offer Trump a symbolic victory on an issue that has followed him since his first term, it would carry little legal weight, as the Constitution does not outline a process for undoing impeachments. The former President was impeached twice by the House of Representatives during his presidency.
Background of the Impeachments
- The first impeachment, in early 2020, alleged abuse of power, and Trump was acquitted.
- The second impeachment accused him of inciting insurrection following the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Trump was also acquitted in this case.
Trump’s anger over these impeachments has been a recurring theme in his 2024 presidential campaign. The current political landscape sees Republicans maintaining a majority in the House and Senate until at least the midterms, with Trump reportedly holding significant influence within the GOP.
Political Repercussions and Endorsements
Recent political events show the impact of Trump’s endorsements. Representative Nancy Mace’s defeat in the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary is seen as a consequence of his influence. Trump has been largely successful in his efforts to impact the careers of Republican lawmakers, including those who have opposed him.
However, there have been instances where Trump-backed candidates have not secured victory, such as in Iowa’s gubernatorial race where Republican voters chose Zach Lahn over Randy Feenstra.
Dispute Over War Powers Resolution
In a separate development, Trump recently condemned Republican lawmakers who voted for a Democratic-led bill aimed at limiting his war powers concerning Iran. He stated on Truth Social, “Yesterday, in a meaningless vote, the House voted, 4 bad Republicans and all of the Dumocrats, to limit my War Powers, right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Four Republicans, including Representatives Thomas Massie and Brian Fitzpatrick, along with Army veterans Warren Davidson and Tom Barrett, broke ranks on the war powers resolution. This vote, largely symbolic, would require Senate approval and a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override a presidential veto.
Trump characterized the vote as an “unpatriotic act” and labeled the dissenting Republicans as “GRANDSTANDERS!”
