Democrats are in disarray over their strategy to take on Donald Trump.
One senior lawmaker just made a shocking move against a member of his own party.
And the room erupted when Jerry Nadler dropped this brutal truth bomb on a fellow Democrat’s scheme against Trump.
Democrat calls impeachment attempt “idiotic”
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) stunned fellow Democrats at a caucus meeting Wednesday when he bluntly described Rep. Shri Thanedar’s (D-MI) attempt to impeach President Donald Trump as “idiotic.”
According to reporting from Axios, Nadler’s candid assessment earned him applause from his Democrat colleagues who have grown increasingly frustrated with Thanedar’s impeachment push just months into Trump’s second term.
What makes Nadler’s opposition especially shocking is that he served as one of Nancy Pelosi’s impeachment managers during the Democrats’ first impeachment of Trump back in 2019. The dramatic reversal shows just how much the political landscape has shifted since Trump’s landslide victory in November.
Nadler didn’t just criticize the move – he went further by urging fellow Democrats to vote in favor of a Republican motion that would effectively kill Thanedar’s impeachment effort before it gains any traction.
The impeachment articles, introduced by Thanedar, accuse President Trump of corruption, abuse of power, and “tyranny.” However, the timing and approach have frustrated many in his own party.
Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) confirmed that Democrat leadership would be voting to table the impeachment articles, effectively siding with Republicans on this procedural vote.
“The House is set to vote Wednesday evening on Republicans’ motion to ‘table’ Thanedar’s seven articles of impeachment,” Axios reported.
Thanedar accused of misleading colleagues
What makes this situation particularly awkward is that Nadler was briefly listed as a co-sponsor of Thanedar’s impeachment measure before withdrawing his name.
Sources told Axios that Thanedar had wrongly led colleagues to believe that Democratic leadership was supporting his impeachment efforts and had even added some as co-sponsors without properly notifying their staff.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also reportedly spoke out against Thanedar’s impeachment push during Wednesday’s meeting, adding to the chorus of Democrat voices opposing the measure.
The frustration with Thanedar’s approach seems to cross various factions of the Democrat caucus. Many view his impeachment effort as politically motivated and potentially tied to his contested Democrat primary – an accusation Thanedar denies.
Democrats in competitive districts caught in the middle
Democrats in competitive districts are particularly concerned about being forced into a difficult political position by Thanedar’s impeachment articles.
“It’s going to cause Democrats in [competitive] seats to make tough decisions,” one Democrat told Axios.
Another Democrat was even more blunt in their assessment of Thanedar’s impeachment push, using colorful language to describe their colleague’s judgment.
This impeachment attempt comes as Democrats are still regrouping after losing the White House and failing to retake the House of Representatives in the 2024 elections. Many in the party appear to be focusing on policy differences rather than pursuing impeachment so early in Trump’s second term.
The backlash against Thanedar highlights the divisions within the Democrat Party over how to approach opposition to Trump’s presidency. While some, like Thanedar, favor aggressive measures like impeachment, party leadership seems to be pursuing a more measured approach.
The House vote on tabling Thanedar’s impeachment articles will reveal just how many Democrats are willing to break with their colleague and effectively side with Republicans to shut down this impeachment effort.
This dramatic shift in Democrat strategy comes as the party faces a crisis of confidence among its own voters. A shocking new AP-NORC poll released this week reveals that only one-third of Democrat voters feel optimistic about their party’s future following the 2024 election defeats. Meanwhile, Republican voters are reporting record levels of confidence in their party’s direction.
The poll, which surveyed 1,350 registered voters between May 2-6, underscores why Democrat leaders like Nadler might be abandoning aggressive tactics against Trump in favor of a more measured approach that could appeal to swing voters who rejected Democrats at the ballot box last November.
