Key Points and Summary: Following President Donald Trump’s decision to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities without congressional authorization, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) declared the act “a grave violation of the Constitution” and “absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”
-While previous impeachment efforts against Trump this term have been led by lesser-known Democrats, AOC’s entry lends significant weight to the cause.
-Her call was echoed by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who, along with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), introduced a bipartisan resolution to terminate the use of US forces in Iran. Trump responded to AOC on Truth Social, calling her “stupid” and one of the “‘dumbest’ people in Congress.”
Trump Has a New Impeachment Challenge to Contend With
Since the start of Donald Trump’s second term, there has been talk from Democrats in Congress about trying to impeach the president.
Two Congressmen have introduced impeachment resolutions, with one, Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan, even attempting to force a vote, although he ultimately backed down.
The efforts haven’t gained much traction for a few reasons. The Democrats are in the minority in both houses of Congress, and lack both the ability to bring bills to the floor, or the votes to move any impeachment effort forward. Also, they know that Trump was already impeached twice, during his first term, and doing so failed to stop his political momentum or prevent him from being elected president again.
The Democrats who have pushed impeachment are relatively obscure Democratic backbenchers, and the effort has not gained the buy-in of any of the Democratic leadership in the House or the Senate.
Rep. Al Green (D-TX), who has been talking about impeaching Trump since the start of his second term, and was censured by the House for interrupting a Trump speech, this week announced a new article of impeachment, adding to his previous ones, for his “usurping of Congressional Authority in Iran attack.”
Now, one very prominent Democrat has indicated her support for impeachment.
AOC for Impeachment?
After Trump ordered the bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites, without gaining any authorization from Congress, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called the attack grounds for impeachment.
“The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers,” the Congresswoman said on X on Saturday night, shortly after the strikes. “He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations.”
“It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”
She did not say if she planned to introduce an impeachment resolution.
Other elected officials, such as Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), also pointed out that Trump’s attack violated the War Powers Act. “This is not Constitutional,” Massie said, per The Hill, although he did not go so far as to call for impeachment.
However, Massie did introduce a bipartisan resolution, along with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), to “terminate the use” of U.S. forces in Iran, in the absence of Congressional authorization.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, for his part, did not object to the attack, declaring that the War Powers Act itself may be unconstitutional.
That act was passed in 1973, over a veto from President Richard Nixon; it followed Nixon’s “secret bombings” of Cambodia during the Vietnam War. One Congressman, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) introduced an impeachment resolution at the time, over the Cambodia bombing, but it was not included in the articles of impeachment that ultimately led to Nixon’s resignation in 1974.
In the years since, presidents of both parties have frequently engaged in military interventions without the approval of Congress.
Trump Responds to AOC
Trump did not respond kindly to AOC’s talk of impeachment, sending a long Truth Social post starting with the epithet, “stupid AOC.”
“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the ‘dumbest’ people in Congress, is now calling for my Impeachment, despite the fact that the Crooked and Corrupt Democrats have already done that twice before,” Trump declared.
He then decided to speculate about AOC’s “test scores,” possibly referring to IQ or a cognitive test.
“When we examine her Test Scores, we will find out that she is NOT qualified for office but, nevertheless, far more qualified than Crockett, who is a seriously Low IQ individual, or Ilhan Omar, who does nothing but complain about our Country,” Trump added,” Trump said.
No requirement exists for elected officials to meet any IQ or cognitive test threshold.
Then, he attacked Ocasio-Cortez’s district, which happens to be in the same borough, Queens, where Trump himself was brought up.
“Alexandria should go back home to Queens, where I was also brought up, and straighten out her filthy, disgusting, crime ridden streets, in the District she ‘represents,’ and which she never goes to anymore.”
About the Author:
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons.
Iran War
30,000 Pound Bunker-Buster Bombs Might Not Be Able to Destroy Fordow
