Democratic leaders navigate minefield amid liberal clamor to remove Trump

Democratic leaders are walking a delicate line as liberals clamor for President Trump’s removal over the Iran war.

On one hand, the minority Democrats are well aware that they have virtually no power to boot Trump from office — an effort that’s opposed by even some in their own party — and they don’t want to distract from the issues of rising costs and inflation, where they see Republicans as most vulnerable heading into the midterms. 

On the other hand, Trump’s threat to use the military to attack civilian infrastructure and destroy “a whole civilization” has infuriated base progressives, who say the president crossed a line that demands his removal, either through impeachment or the 25th Amendment. Liberals in the Capitol are advancing the cause.

The uproar is posing a dilemma for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who find themselves (once again) scrambling to prove to base voters that they’re fighting their best fight to restrain Trump’s impulses — without antagonizing the centrists whose support will be crucial to the Democrats’ success in November’s elections.

Walking that tightrope, Jeffries this week condemned Trump’s Iran posture in the harshest terms while steering clear of the removal efforts that are gaining traction in his ranks. He then offered the liberals an outlet to blow off their steam: On Friday, the House Democratic Caucus staged an all-hands discussion, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a former professor of constitutional law, on the “different accountability mechanisms, in the words of Jeffries, available to Democrats as they seek to rein in Trump’s actions. 

The virtual gathering featured an examination of the merits and drawbacks of their limited options, including the push for impeachment and the effort to entice members of Trump’s Cabinet to eject the president via the 25th Amendment.

Raskin,........

© The Hill