Texas Democrat Al Green Pushes For Trump's Impeachment Over 'Take Over Gaza' Remarks

Democratic Representative Al Green from Texas announced on Wednesday that he is bringing Articles of Impeachment against President Donald Trump following his controversial comments that the U.S. should "take over" Gaza.

Green accused Trump of threatening "ethnic cleansing" and called for his removal from office.

"The movement to impeach the president has begun," Green said on the House floor. "I rise to announce that I will bring articles of impeachment against the president for dastardly deeds proposed and dastardly deeds done," Green said during a speech on the House floor.

The push for impeachment came following the comments made by Trump on Tuesday during a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

Trump stated that the United States should "take over" the Gaza Strip and take responsibility for rebuilding the region. He did not elaborate on who would be allowed to live there, The Hill reported.

There are about 2 million Palestinians who aspire to have their own state.

Democrats, including Green, compared Trump's proposal to "take over" Gaza to "ethnic cleansing," warning that his comments would only heighten tensions in an already unstable situation.

"Ethnic cleansing is not a joke, especially when it emanates from the president of the United States, the most powerful person in the world, when he has the ability to perfect what he says. Ethnic cleansing in Gaza is no joke, and the prime minister of Israel should be ashamed knowing the history of his people," Green said.

Green also invoked the words of the late civil rights leader, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., saying, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Green has led several unsuccessful attempts during the president's first term. He initiated the first impeachment effort against Trump in 2017 and later in 2019.

"I know that it's time for us to lay the foundation again. On some issues, it is better to stand alone than not stand at all," he said. "On this issue, I stand alone, but I stand for justice."

Impeachment: A Divisive Issue

Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson pointed out that many people cheered the president's idea as a potential solution for the Middle East.

"He's taken bold, decisive action to try to ensure the peace of that region. It's a bold move, certainly. Far bolder than what's been done before, but I think we've got to stand unequivocally, in an unwavering manner, with Israel, our closest friend and ally in the Middle East," he said.

California Congressman Pete Aguilar, the third-ranking House Democrat, stated that impeachment is not a priority for the party at this time.

Given the current political makeup of Congress, with Democrats in the minority in both the House and Senate, Green's push for impeachment is unlikely to move forward beyond today's filing.

Trump's Impeachment History

Trump has already faced two impeachment trials in the past. The first was in 2019, over his alleged abuse of power in relation to the 2020 election and his request to Ukraine's President Zelensky asking him to investigate Joe Biden.

The second trial came after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In both cases, Trump was acquitted by the Senate, despite impeachment proceedings being led by Democrats in the House.