Democrat to push for vote on Trump's impeachment over his attack on NFL protesters

Another push by the President's opponents to remove him from office

Jeremy B. White

San Francisco

Wednesday 27 September 2017 23:46 BST

Rep. Al Green with Rep Maxine Waters, another fierce Trump critic, on June 28, 2013 in Washington, DC (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

A Democratic lawmaker plans to force a symbolic vote on impeaching Donald Trump in response to the President’s controversial critique of American football protests.

While Democrats have repeatedly called for Mr Trump’s impeachment or removal, spurred on most recently by his equivocal response to a car mowing down protesters in Charlottesville - with some even suggesting Mr Trump is mentally unfit to do the job - the latest effort is all but certain to fail in the Republican-controlled Congress.

Prefacing his plans to push for a vote, Representative Al Green of Texas denounced Mr Trump’s urging NFL owners to punish players who kneel for the national anthem in protest, saying they should “Get that son of a bitch off the field”. The President has doubled down on the remark, calling for boycotts of the NFL and revisiting the issue in dozens of tweets.

“I rise to defend any mother who has been called a dog because her son engaged in peaceful protest,” Mr Green said, slamming Mr Trump for having “brought discourse to a new low”.

“This is a level of decency that is unbecoming the presidency,” Mr Green said, vowing that next week, “I will stand here in the well of the Congress and I will call for the impeachment of the President of the United States of America”.

Since they wield a majority in the House of Representatives, Republicans control the levers of legislative machinery and can generally block bills from getting floor votes.

Athletes named on Time's 100 most influential list

Show all 8

1/8Athletes named on Time's 100 most influential list

Athletes named on Time's 100 most influential list

Lewis Hamilton (motor racing)

Time says: 'Today he is at the highest echelon of the sport. If he were to retire tomorrow, he would still be among the very best champions who have ever lived. And I think he’s just getting started. The sky is the limit for him.'

by Mario Andretti

This content is subject to copyright.

Athletes named on Time's 100 most influential list

Usain Bolt (athletics)

Time says: 'Usain Bolt is a light. There are a lot of things in Jamaica—and the world—that cause separation: politics, inequality, crime. But an entire generation can look up to Usain. He’s a unifying force.'

by Ziggy Marley

Athletes named on Time's 100 most influential list

Ibtihaj Muhammad (fencing)

Time says: 'Ibtihaj is one of the best fencers in the world—and an observant Muslim woman. This summer, she will represent the U.S. at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. And when she competes for her country, representing all of us, she will be the first American Olympian to do so while wearing the hijab. Ibtihaj embraced what made her stand out, and she’s an Olympian because of it.'

by Kieth Ellison

2016 FIE

Athletes named on Time's 100 most influential list

Ronda Rousey (mixed martial arts)

Time says: 'Imagine if we could teach our daughters to value their bodies for what they can do, not for how others think they look. Could Ronda be the one to finally help us understand that as females, we define the word feminine and that it doesn’t define us? If we don’t listen, can she dislocate our arms at the elbow?'

by Tina Fey

Athletes named on Time's 100 most influential list

Katie Ledecky (swimming)

Time says: 'Many of our sports heroes are sold to us based on their superhuman skill level. But every so often we get to experience one who combines these superior physical gifts with humility and grace while also letting us into his life to share the journey to greatness with him.'

by Janet Evans

2016 Getty Images

Athletes named on Time's 100 most influential list

Stephen Curry (basketball)

Time says: 'Many of our sports heroes are sold to us based on their superhuman skill level. But every so often we get to experience one who combines these superior physical gifts with humility and grace while also letting us into his life to share the journey to greatness with him.'

by Misty Copeland

2016 Getty Images

Athletes named on Time's 100 most influential list

Jordan Spieth (golf)

Time says: 'Rarely is an athlete so supremely confident yet incredibly humble, so systematic in his approach yet so fluid in his delivery. Jordan possesses rare competitive greatness that he somehow shuts off when the setting calls for it. And his graciousness toward others is genuine and real. He is the standard by which our heroes should be measured.'

by Tony Romo

2016 Getty Images

Athletes named on Time's 100 most influential list

Sania Mirza (tennis)

Time says: 'Sania and her partner on court, Martina Hingis, are No. 1 in doubles and utterly dominant—they have taken the past three Grand Slam events. Sania’s confidence, strength and resilience reach beyond tennis. She has inspired a generation of Indians to pursue their dreams—and to realize that they can also be the best.'

by Sachin Tendulkar

2016 Getty Images

Mr Green can make a procedural move that would compel members to vote on whether to open debate on his impeachment resolution, which would all but certainly result in Republicans voting to halt the measure.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies