At least 10 incoming progressive House Democrats are expected to back efforts to impeach President Donald Trump, extending a campaign led by outgoing Rep. Al Green of Texas, according to people involved in the effort.
Green and members of the Removal Coalition and Courage for Democracy Project discussed their plans after a news conference on Capitol Hill. Green introduced articles of impeachment against Trump in August.
Green is looking to incoming Democrats, including Melat Kiros of Colorado, Nancy Lacore of South Carolina, Dan Koh of Massachusetts, Chris Rabb of Pennsylvania and Angela Gonzales-Torres of California, to carry the effort forward after he leaves Congress.
“Impeachment is the only path forward,” Green said, arguing that the country cannot accept a president he believes is engaged in corruption. He said the ultimate goal is Trump’s removal from office and praised lawmakers willing to continue the campaign in the next Congress.
Green cited Trump’s cryptocurrency dealings as one example of what he considers presidential corruption. Gonzales-Torres said she plans to continue the effort while representing more than 100,000 Los Angeles voters who elected her.
Organizers acknowledged that impeachment may not succeed. Even if the House approved articles against Trump, the Senate could decline to convict him, as it did in both of his previous impeachment trials. Still, advocates said public pressure could bring more Democrats on board.
Keira Havens, co-founder of the Courage for Democracy Project, said support could grow as advocates explain why they believe removing Trump is important. She also recognized that some Democrats who oppose Trump may reject impeachment, either because they see insufficient legal grounds or expect a Senate conviction to fail.
A constitutional expert associated with the project said Senate impeachment procedures could offer other ways to remove a president, pointing to Rule VIII. The Constitution, however, gives the House the power to impeach and the Senate the power to try impeachment cases.
Jessica Denson, founder of the Removal Coalition, criticized Democrats who have focused on congressional hearings and possible prosecutions of Trump administration officials instead of impeaching Trump. She called those lawmakers “spineless” and argued that public pressure could change their position. The coalition said hearings and prosecutions alone were not enough.
The campaign is unfolding as Democrats prepare to take control of the House in January, which could give impeachment supporters more opportunity to bring forward resolutions. Impeachment requires a simple majority in the House; conviction and removal require a two-thirds majority of senators present.
The coalition also said it plans to pursue impeachment proceedings against War Secretary Pete Hegseth. Its members argued that any wrongdoing involving Hegseth could also implicate Trump, though a finding against the war secretary would not by itself establish Trump’s legal or constitutional responsibility.
Trump and Hegseth did not respond to requests for comment.
