Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, has stated that President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles to address immigration-related protests could be impeachable. Clarke’s comments were made during a news conference where she was asked if she considered Trump’s decision to send in the troops over the objections of state and local officials an impeachable offense. While Clarke is one of the few Democrats to explicitly consider impeachment, others have not ruled it out. Democrats have raised concerns over the use of the National Guard, with California planning to sue over the deployment. However, broader Democratic leaders have emphasized accountability for policies over impeachment efforts.
Other Democrats, such as Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, have not gone as far as Clarke when asked about impeachment. Espaillat emphasized the need to study all the facts and noted that the situation is not yet over, though it hasn’t started in a good way. Democratic leaders have generally tamped down any pushes to impeach Trump, with an earlier effort by Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) fizzling out amid a fierce backlash in the party. House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California said, ‘House Democrats aren’t focused on impeachment today,’ when addressing reporters after Clarke spoke.
Rank-and-file members such as Rep. Emily Randall (D-Wash.) are skeptical of the odds of success for impeachment with the House and Senate held by the GOP. Randall said, ‘An impeachable offense and what we can actually get across the finish line are two different things, and we saw Donald Trump impeached twice and re-elected. So do I think this is unconstitutional and un-American? Yes. Do I think the American people oppose it? Yes.’ This skepticism highlights the internal debate within the Democratic Party about whether to pursue impeachment as a political strategy or focus on broader policy accountability.