President Trump gave a primetime address Thursday night laying out what he called the most compelling evidence yet that foreign powers have been messing with American elections, complete with declassified documents posted right on the White House website for anyone to read. One senator watched this and decided the real problem was the guy holding the microphone.
Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, never one to let a crisis go un-overreacted to, hopped on X and called for Trump's impeachment. As Conservative Brief reported, Markey posted that "Trump must be impeached for undermining and subverting our free and fair elections." He then went a step further, writing: "And when he sends ICE agents to the polls, then we must turn civic action into civil disobedience and take to the streets. Sit in. Protest. Withhold our labor. Everything must be on the table."
Nothing says "I support free and fair elections" quite like calling for civil disobedience before anyone has even voted yet.
During the address, Trump used phrases like "rigged and stolen," "corrupt," and "cover-up" while referencing newly declassified documents he ordered published on the White House election integrity page. Among his claims: the Chinese government allegedly obtained 220 million U.S. voter files over a five-year period starting around the 2020 election cycle, and "raw intelligence" from the FBI indicated Beijing had attempted to manufacture illegal ballots for Joe Biden.
Critics from both parties argued Trump did not provide sufficient evidence to back up his central allegation of widespread fraud. Meanwhile, Trump's team pointed out that the actual documents are sitting right there online for anyone who cares to read them. You know, the ones that were classified until Thursday.
This is not Markey's first rodeo with the impeachment talk. As The Hill reported, he also called for Trump's removal back in April over the president's threats toward Iran regarding the Strait of Hormuz. At the time, Markey declared Trump was "unstable and a clear and present danger, not just to the American people but to the world." He urged the House to pass articles of impeachment, the Senate to convict, and the Cabinet and Vice President Vance to invoke the 25th Amendment. So basically every removal mechanism short of a catapult.
Democrats have consistently maintained there is no widespread voter fraud while also opposing virtually every Republican-led election integrity measure that comes along, which is an interesting combination if you think about it for more than three seconds.
On Friday morning, Republicans seized the moment, with Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania calling on colleagues to pass the SAVE America Act. "The public overwhelmingly supports this legislation, and it is vital for ensuring free and fair elections," Meuser declared.
So to recap: Trump declassified documents about alleged Chinese election interference, posted them publicly, and asked people to look at them. Markey's response was to demand impeachment and street protests. At this point, suggesting we maybe verify who is voting seems like the least controversial position in this whole circus.
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