CNN Host Asks Hakeem Jeffries Why He Voted Present On Trump Impeachment

CNN host John Berman asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Friday why he voted to table the introduced articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

Jeffries voted “present” on the articles introduced on the House floor on Thursday, marking a shift from his previous “no” vote on impeachment when they were introduced in June. Jeffries said on “CNN News Central” that the House must undergo a “serious process” before considering impeachment.

“So why did you move from ‘no’ on impeachment in June to sort of ‘meh’ yesterday?” Berman asked.

“Well, we issued a statement that speaks for itself, but essentially we said impeachment is a serious issue. It requires a serious process. And that process was missing as it relates to the resolution that we voted on yesterday,” Jeffries said. (RELATED: Democrat Rep Whose Trump Impeachment Flopped Now Seeks To Impeach Hegseth Over Drug Boat Strikes)

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Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green forced a vote on Thursday over his alleged incitement of violence against the six lawmakers who called on service members to refuse illegal orders. The articles were overwhelmingly tabled in a 270-140 vote.

“This resolution asserts that President Trump is an abuser of presidential power who, if left in office, will continue to promote violence, engender invidious hate, undermine our democracy, and dissolve our Republic, and that he is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors,” Green’s articles stated. “Article I pertains to President Trump calling for the execution of six Democratic lawmakers, all of whom are currently serving in the U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives, and who previously served in the U.S. Military or in U.S. Intelligence communities.”

Article II accused Trump of endangering the wellbeing and safety of lawmakers and judges and “undermining the independence of our judiciary.”

Trump stated on Truth Social that the six lawmakers’ calls for service members to refuse illegal orders could have committed a crime “punishable by death.” He clarified in an interview with Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade that he was not threatening the lawmakers’ lives, but said they could face legal liability.

Green has unsuccessfully filed several articles of impeachment against Trump in the past year. Ten Democrats joined House Republicans in March to censure Green for disrupting Trump’s address to Congress.

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