This story was first published at Colorado Newsline.
DENVER | Some Colorado Democratic members of Congress join several national lawmakers calling for President Donald Trump to be impeached following his latest threats against Iran.
Trump on Tuesday threatened that “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. He posted the message roughly 12 hours before his self-imposed deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or otherwise face U.S. strikes on the country’s bridges and power plants.
Just before the deadline, the Trump administration announced a tentative cease fire agreement with Iran.
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat, said in a post on X that Congress should begin the impeachment process if the U.S. Cabinet “is too cowardly” to invoke 25th Amendment proceedings to remove Trump from office.
She said the president “is openly threatening war crimes against the entirety of Iranian civilization.”
The 25th Amendment authorizes the vice president and a majority of Cabinet members or Congress to deem the president unable to carry out the duties of the office. The amendment has never been invoked.
DeGette and many other Democrats have voiced support for invoking the amendment, including U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, a Lakewood Democrat.
Pettersen said it is “unimaginable” and “utterly shocking and terrifying” that the U.S. president would threaten to destroy an entire civilization, and that targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime. A spokesperson for Pettersen said she would support impeachment.
“Our service members are being placed in an impossible position where they could be forced to choose between following unlawful orders or risking their careers and futures by refusing to comply,” Pettersen said in a statement. “The men and women who volunteer to serve this country risk everything to protect us and should never be asked to compromise their oath to our Constitution.”
U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, an Aurora Democrat, has been repeatedly targeted by the Trump administration for participating in a video with other Democrats in Congress to remind members of the military and intelligence community to refuse illegal orders.
He repeated that reminder following Trump’s latest comments, saying that service members “have a solemn duty to follow the law.”
“The President is endangering the American people, our servicemembers, our allies, and innocent civilians,” Crow said in a statement. “Americans of good conscience must come together and reject this madness.”
On CNN Tuesday, Crow said impeachment is one of many tools that can “stop a runaway, rogue presidency,” and all options need to be on the table. But he doubts Republicans in the Cabinet or Congress will pursue impeachment or the 25th Amendment against Trump.
The U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran on Feb. 28, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and numerous other senior leaders of the Islamic state. In response, Iran has targeted global oil trade by effectively choking off the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime passage for about one-fifth of the world’s petroleum and liquid natural gas.
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado said Trump is threatening war crimes “to fix a crisis he created.” Trump launched a war in Iran without a “clear strategy” or “honest justifications,” Bennet said, and his latest comments are a “reckless, dangerous escalation.”
House Minority Leader Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat, did not respond to a request for comment from Newsline. A statement from House Democratic leadership called on Republicans to “put patriotic duty over party loyalty and join Democrats in stopping this madness.”
A growing group of other congressional Democrats on Tuesday pointed to impeachment or the 25th Amendment as a response to Trump’s behavior toward Iran.
If President Trump is able to neutralize the greatest threat for peace and terrorism in the Middle East, it will be one of the greatest accomplishments in our current century. This is something that all past Presidents in our lifetime said needed to be done. But only President Trump, and members of his administration, have had the courage and leadership to undertake.
The use of exaggeration and hyperbole is part of President Trump’s “carrot and stick” approach to negotiation. Colorado Dems made the same kind of claims during Trump’s first term when he told Kim Jong Un of North Korea that “his button was bigger;” referring to Un’s threat of use of nuclear weapons. Instead of starting a nuclear war, as Dems claimed, this bravado resulted in North Korea discontinuing all of their nuclear testing.
I hope Colorado independent voters are taking note of each and every stance these people are taking on issues. They are not American patriots. They regularly encourage insurrection in our military and seem to identify and support anyone and any country that opposes our President. They would be well advised to “sit back, shut up, and watch and learn” how it’s done.
Who the hell are you to decide/ who is a patriot and who isn’t?
Jeffy-poo hates it when his political enemies fight back instead of rolling over.
And who are you to decide otherwise! You have an entire group of fake journalists called the Aurora Sentinel staff who only “carry water” for the Democrat Party. It is therefore up to a few Aurora citizens to offer alternative viewpoints, since the Sentinel won’t.
It is apparent that Mr. Crow and his ilk would rather see this country burn to the ground than see President Trump get credit for or succeed in anything; even if it means encouraging military insurrection. That is not patriotism!
From the Uniform Code of Military Justice or the Nuremburg Priciples: Soldiers are obligated to refuse unlawful or unconstitutional orders under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), specifically Article 92. When a leader so recklessly calls for the elimination of a society and later, when questioned about it by the press, casually says he’s not worried about committing war crimes, it’s time to talk openly about his fitness for the office and his eventual removal. The rule noted above implies a duty for military personnel to REFUSE unconstitutional orders. His open threats and defenses are the very definition of war crimes. Interestingly, these principles were devised in response to NAZI trials in Nuremberg. The world was so aghast at the justifications by NAZIs for the crimes against humanity that they committed, that rules for individual soldiers under US command were developed. Consistently, we’ve compared comments of this president to those of Hitler in both of his terms. He openly accepted NeoNAZIs to march in Charlottesville, he dined with NeoNAZIs, and he has embraced the Christian Nationalists, which includes NeoNAZIs, which he pardoned for committing insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. It’s been rumored that he reads regularly from Mein Kampf, Hitlers biography, but I doubt his ability to concentrate and his thirst for history. What I don’t doubt are his racist ideas, his racist actions, or his racist words. Nor can I overlook his disregard for laws, mores, ethics, or any other civilized guidance. Clearly, he is a scoundrel without a moral compass and should be summarily drummed out of the Whitehouse!
“His open threats and defenses are the very definition of war crimes.”
No they aren’t! Words and threats are not war crimes. They never have been and never will be. Nor are destruction of bridges and power plants. Using children as human shields like the Iranians are doing ARE war crimes. So is bombing cities with the intent to kill as many civilians as possible, as the fanatical Muslims running Iran are doing. No comments about that?
Just more fuel for the Donald to despise and punish the citizens of Colorado, right or wrong. Our national leaders will not learn nor change in the next three years and Colorado will only be hindered by these leaders.
Seems like they would learn how to deal with a narcissistic leader to better serve Colorado. What they do and say only hurt our citizens as long as the Donald is in power. Even if you hate the Donald, you should stop “poking the bear”.
Yes, we should all tremble in fear of The Mighty Trump.
Pathetic.