Dem Rep. Sparks Debate After Asserting That Impeaching Trump Shouldn't Be 'Priority' If Dems Take Back House

South Carolina Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn has left people torn after recommending that Democrats should not make impeaching President Donald Trump a "priority" if they take back the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections.

Trump is the only president to be impeached twice. The Senate acquitted him after he was accused of soliciting political favors from Ukraine. Trump would later be acquitted on charges that he incited an insurrection against the government after his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol building in 2021.

Speaking to Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker, who said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has not "ruled out" but nonetheless has his own reservations about impeaching Trump for a third time, Clyburn said he feels "confident" Democrats can retake control of the chamber.

He said:

“If the Democrats were to take back the House, and I feel confident that we will, our first order of business ought to be developing an accessible and affordable campaign effort that will yield what I would call making this country, its greatness, accessible and affordable for all of its citizens."

When Welker asked if he had personally ruled out impeaching Trump again, he replied:

“I don’t rule it out, but I don’t rule it in. No, I don’t. But I don’t think that should be our priority if we get into office. Our priority ought to be making housing, education, energy, health care affordable and accessible for all of our citizens.”

You can hear what he said in the video below.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

Clyburn's recommendation comes as Americans continue to grapple with a nationwide affordability crisis exacerbated by the highly unpopular war in Iran.

And as serious as that is, his suggestion has sparked a debate as citizens weigh whether Trump could once again escape accountability.

At the moment, Democrats do not have the votes required to initiate successful impeachment proceedings against the president.

To impeach Trump would require a simple majority in the House of Representatives. However, a conviction in the Senate seems very unlikely given the partisan nature of the chamber and that a conviction requires a two-thirds supermajority vote.