Michigan Rep. Shri Thanedar abruptly backed away from plans to force a House vote to impeach former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, retreating after internal pressure from fellow Democrats who warned the move would distract from the party’s broader legislative strategy. Democratic leaders are currently locked in a battle to block a Republican tax plan they say could gut Medicaid and other key federal programs.
Thanedar had signaled earlier in the week that he would trigger a floor vote on his impeachment resolution during a round of evening votes, but when the procedural window closed, he had taken no action.
In a statement afterward, he said: “[A]fter talking with many colleagues, I have decided not to force a vote on impeachment today. Instead, I will add to my articles of impeachment and continue to rally the support of both Democrats and Republicans to defend the Constitution with me.”
In the fifteen days since I filed seven articles of impeachment against President Trump, he has committed more impeachable offenses, most dangerously, accepting a $400 million private jet from Qatar, which even Republican Members of Congress have called wrong.
So, after talking…
— Congressman Shri Thanedar (@RepShriThanedar) May 14, 2025
His reversal followed an intense round of closed-door conversations on Capitol Hill, where several high-profile Democrats—including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Greg Casar, Brad Schneider, and Jamie Raskin—were seen in animated discussions with Thanedar. According to sources familiar with the talks, Schneider urged the Michigan congressman to stand down, warning that advancing the resolution could derail opposition to the GOP tax package, according to reports.
Although many Democrats remain convinced that Trump’s conduct in office merited impeachment—having already voted to impeach him twice—Thanedar’s effort was viewed as ill-timed and tactically fraught. Party leaders, including Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar from California, had reportedly prepared to table the resolution immediately if it reached the floor, concerned that the vote would fracture party unity and muddy their message.
“Right now, our focus is on health care being stripped away from the American people,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, chair of the House Democratic Caucus. “That is the most urgent and dire thing that we could be talking about this week.”
Aguilar added that Trump “is no stranger to impeachment” but said Thanedar’s proposal is “not ripe and not timely” given the Republican push to approve their tax package.
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