Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said Sunday that President Donald Trump has engaged in conduct during his second term that could justify impeachment, although he cautioned that pursuing another impeachment would not necessarily be a top priority for Democrats if they regain control of the House of Representatives.
Raskin, one of the lead prosecutors in Trump’s second impeachment trial, said during an interview on NBC News’ Meet the Press that impeachment remains a constitutional tool Democrats could use if they determine that the president’s actions warrant it.
Raskin said Trump has “without a doubt” engaged in conduct that could provide grounds for impeachment. Among the issues he cited were the use of military forces without a formal declaration of war, disputes with Congress over the allocation of public funds and the demolition of the East Wing of the White House.
The congressman also accused the Trump administration of corruption and exceeding executive authority, although he did not provide an exhaustive list during the interview of the actions he believes could support a future impeachment proceeding.
Raskin stressed, however, that impeachment is not an absolute priority for Democrats. “It’s not an obsession for us,” he said, explaining that it is a tool they would use if they believed it was necessary.
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The lawmaker also recalled that Trump’s two impeachment proceedings during his first term accounted for half of all presidential impeachments in U.S. history. In both cases, the Senate acquitted Trump.
Trump was first impeached in 2019, after the House charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress over his dealings with Ukraine. His second impeachment came after the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, when the House charged him with incitement of insurrection.
With the midterm elections approaching, the possibility of another impeachment has returned to the political debate. Trump has warned his supporters that Democrats would seek to remove him from office again if they regain control of the House.
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Raskin’s position, however, does not represent a uniform stance among Democrats.
Rep. Jim Clyburn said last month, also on Meet the Press, that Democrats should not make impeachment their priority if they regain the House majority. Instead, he said the party should focus on issues including housing, education, energy and health care.
House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has also avoided committing to another impeachment effort. In June, he said Democrats had neither ruled out nor confirmed any accountability action against Trump, while emphasizing that their main goal would be to lower the cost of living for Americans.
