<p>Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) stated on Sunday that impeaching President Donald Trump for a third time would establish a precedent if Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives in the upcoming midterm elections.</p>
<p>During an interview with NBC News’s Kristen Welker on <em>Meet the Press</em>, Khanna dismissed the notion that House Democrats should avoid investigating or potentially impeaching the president. He referenced a warning from Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who expressed a preference for Democrats to focus on legislative work rather than confrontation with Trump.</p>
<p>When asked if a third impeachment would be a mistake for Democrats, Khanna responded, “No, it’s not. Because it’s not about Donald Trump, he’s going to be a lame duck and, in my view, largely increasingly irrelevant. The point is to stand up for the Constitution.” He noted that Democrats have been examining the Trump family's business dealings as part of their discussions regarding impeachment.</p>
<p>Khanna elaborated, stating, “Impeachment says that you can’t get into an illegal war in Iran without constitutional approval; impeachment says that you can’t just start firing federal employees in defiance of what Congress says; impeachment says you can’t do deals with foreign governments to allegedly enrich your own family. It’s about setting a standard. And the Democrats can impeach to uphold constitutional values and at the same time have a first 100 days agenda that deals with the cost of living.”</p>
<p>Duckworth, during a Center for American Progress event, indicated her preference for moving forward in a way that benefits the American public, suggesting that allowing Trump to save face could be advantageous. Throughout Trump’s second term, Democrats have grappled with how to balance criticism of the president with promoting their policy agenda, often prioritizing anti-Trump messaging in their campaigns.</p>
<p>Trump is the only president to have been impeached twice, with the House approving articles of impeachment against him in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, followed by a Senate acquittal in February 2020. After the January 6 riots, Trump was impeached again for incitement of insurrection, but was acquitted by the Senate.</p>
<p>While leading Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), have not explicitly stated intentions to pursue impeachment should they regain the House, reports suggest they plan to investigate the Trump family’s business dealings. Senior committee aides have discussed the possibility of issuing subpoenas and holding hearings as part of these investigations, which would focus attention on Trump during the final two years of his presidency.</p>