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In the original Star Wars, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Obi-Wan Kenobi find the Millennium Falcon under fire from Imperial TIE fighters in deep outer space. Luke speculates that the TIE fighters are “heading for that small moon.”
But Obi-Wan’s visage grows grim.
“That’s no moon,” intones Obi-Wan. “It’s a space station.”
Han Solo disagrees.
“It’s too big to be a space station,” says Han. To which, Obi-Wan instructs him, “Turn the ship around.”
But as quickly as he dismissed Kenobi’s observation, Solo pivots. He grimaces, realizing that the wise Jedi Knight is on to something.
DEMOCRAT AL GREEN TO FORCE HOUSE-WIDE VOTE ON IMPEACHING TRUMP
“Yeah. I think you’re right,” Han replies. The Millennium Falcon starts to shake.
“Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power,” Han commands his shipmate. “Why are we still moving towards it?” squeaks Luke.
“We’re caught in a tractor beam and it’s pulling us in!” shouts Han.
And a few moments later, the Millenium Falcon, the fastest ship in the galaxy, is suctioned into Bay 327 of the Death Star, moored, and unable to escape. The band of ragtag heroes are now stuck. On the Death Star.
Grand Moff Tarkin describes it as “the ultimate power in the universe.”
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Impeachment in Congress is kind of like the Death Star’s tractor beam. You can’t escape once you’re in its clenches. A decision to impeach sucks a political party in, eventually marooning everyone in the political equivalent of a hangar bay.
For Democrats, they can’t focus on the price of eggs and milk. There’s little debate about gas prices. It’s a challenge to even address oversight issues.
You can try to “lock in the auxiliary power.” But it’s too late.
You might think impeachment is “a moon.” But it’s really the political Death Star.
Not for your adversary. But often those orchestrating the impeachment.
Democrats might find themselves in an impeachment bind if they capture the majority next year. Progressives and the left will possess one of the loudest voices in Congress. And even though Democrats twice impeached President Trump in 2019 and 2021, some will insist on doing it again. That’s to say nothing of trying to impeach a host of Trump Administration cabinet officials – ranging from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Some Democrats are already falling prey to the impeachment tractor beam.
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, led the initial effort to impeach President Trump during his first term in 2017 – long before the successful impeachment over Ukraine in 2019. Republican redistricting – engineered by President Trump forced Green out of his Houston-based district earlier this year. But Green engineered yet another effort to impeach the President last week as the Texas Democrat heads for the exit.
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The House voted to sidestep Green’s impeachment resolution, 232-147. So this was not a straight, up or down vote on impeachment. It was one step removed. Forty-seven Democrats voted “present.” That includes the party’s top three Democrats: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.
In some respects, House Democratic leaders want to shun impeachment. Or at least avoid it for the time being.
In 2006, Democrats were on the precipice of flipping control of the House. Democrats largely won the midterms that year because of voter fatigue with President George W. Bush and the calcification of the war in Iraq.
Many Democrats wanted to impeach the President. But as she prepared to clasp the gavel, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., famously declared that impeachment was “off the table.”
House Democrats focused on drawing down the war in Iraq and eventually pivoting to other policy issues like health care and climate change. But Democrats had to get through those midterms first. So once Pelosi said no impeachment, there was no impeachment of the President.
Impeachment with President Trump was kind of “off the table” for Pelosi when Democrats reclaimed the House in the 2018 midterms. But there was a shift among moderate Democrats after disclosures about the President and Ukraine in the summer of 2019. A master of the political pulse, the Speaker understood the direction this was going among her Members. That’s when Pelosi got in front of her caucus, pushing for potential impeachment of the President later that year.
House Democratic leaders are depositing any overt discussion of impeachment on the backburner for now. They don’t want to veer away from their message about affordability. In fact they’ve frequently steered the conversation back to the cost of living when pressed about impeachment.
Consider this response from Jeffries when questioned about impeachment on April 9.
“We’ll have a conversation led by (Rep.) Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, and (Rep.) Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., a former Judiciary Committee Chairman and Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., and Judiciary Committee Democrats tomorrow about Trump administration accountability,” replied Jeffries.
But, unlike completely mimicking Pelosi’s posture years ago, Jeffries signaled he was open to the impeachment question.
“I don’t want to get out ahead of that discussion. But we’ve also been very clear. House Democrats are going to focus on making life more affordable for the American people,” said Jeffries.
On June 14, Kristen Welker of NBC asked Jeffries if his party could “move to impeach President Trump” if Democrats reclaimed the House.
“We haven’t ruled anything in or ruled anything out in terms of accountability. What we have said is that our focus is going to be to make life more affordable for the American people,” answered Jeffries.
On August 25 on CNN, Jeffries deflected a similar impeachment inquiry.
“We haven’t ruled anything in and we haven t ruled anything out,” stated Jeffries.
Impeachment interrogatives continued for Jeffries during a September 13 interview on ABC.
“We haven’t ruled anything in and we haven’t ruled anything out in terms of impeachment,” said Jeffries.
That’s smart politics for Jeffries. He’s trying to keep his hand on the helm before the midterms – and essentially deferring to the political climate of next year and where rank-and-file Democrats might fall next year should Democrats capture the majority. But there are indications that many Democrats are already ready for impeachment. The progressive base will demand action. And it extends well beyond Al Green.
Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., made her case after the President posted to social media in April
that “a whole civilization will die tonight” in reference to Iran.
“If that’s not high crimes and misdemeanors – and if it’s not madness – I don’t know what is,” said Dean.
Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., said that the President was “threatening genocide.”
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said the party should “push for impeachment” and that the President “is unfit to be the Commander in Chief” and “should be removed.”
So Jeffries has a decision to make. The hard left will demand impeachment – for someone. Be it the President or Hegseth. But if Democrats flip the House, their “majority makers” might represent battleground districts. Those prospective lawmakers will be moderates. Impeachment could be politically toxic for them.
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Pelosi’s circumstances evolved in the summer of 2019. Moderate Democrats with national security credentials from swing districts edged toward impeachment. So, she pulled the impeachment trigger. Pelosi knew the direction of her caucus.
In September 2026, it’s not as clear for Jeffries. And it’s not a done deal that Democrats will seize the majority.
That’s why the New York Democrat expressed caution during his conversation on ABC.
“We’ve got to follow the facts. Apply the law. Be guided by the Constitution and then let the chips fall where they may, in the best interest of the American people,” said Jeffries.
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Han Solo was skeptical back on the Death Star.
“Even if I could take off, I’d never get past the tractor beam,” said Solo.
“Leave that to me,” promised Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The Jedi Master then eluded detection on the Death Star, manually shutting off the tractor beam. That disgorged the Millenium Falcon. But in the end, Kenobi sacrificed himself for the mission.
On Capitol Hill, impeachment is a tractor beam. Once you’re siphoned in, nothing can escape its grasp. Debates about policy. Spending. Health care. War. The tractor beam controls all.
Until it’s switched off.
Not every party which is incapacitated by impeachment has an Obi-Wan Kenobi who can find the off switch. When it comes to impeachment best advice might be to “turn the ship around” beforehand.
But if lots of Members are clamoring for impeachment, it may already be too late.
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