Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, ripped Donald Trump for his military attack against Iran on Saturday, saying the move is “absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”

Ocasio-Cortez ripped the president’s action on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote, “The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers. He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”

On the other hand, Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, came to Trump’s side and wrote on X, “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS. Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.”

  • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
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    22 hours ago

    To get him removed from office, you have to first get the House to vote (50%) to Impeach him. That is actually doable. But then the Senate has to hold a trial and somehow get 67 senators to vote to convict him. That would take every Dem and Independent and something like 20 Republicans to vote to convict. I agree with you, but I don’t see that happening.

    The only other way is by using the 25th Amendment which says, in part:

    Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

    Vance and all of Trump’s appointed toadies would have to send a letter to the House and Senate saying Trump in not capable of being president. And even if, by some miracle that happened, the next step is for Congress to hold votes in both the House and the Senate needing two-thirds of both houses to declare that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Even if they somehow pulled that off in the House, it would still take 18 or 20 Republican senators to cross over and vote him out.

    I just don’t see any legislative way out of this. The Republicans in the House and Senate are simply not going to let it happen. They have too much power and no morals.

      • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
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        21 hours ago

        I don’t disagree. If nothing else, it forces Republicans in the House and maybe even the Senate to go on record supporting Trump’s crimes, so that maybe in the midterms we can take away their domination in Congress, but it is not the real solution. This administration is the GOP’s recurring wet dream for the last 40 years. They will do anything to keep Trump in office.