In 2025, Texas Democratic Representative Al Green renewed his efforts to impeach former President Donald Trump, launching his first impeachment push of Trump’s second term. Known for previously filing multiple impeachment resolutions during Trump’s first presidency, Green cited Trump’s recent controversial remarks about Gaza as grounds for removal. Speaking passionately from the House floor, Green condemned what he described as “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza, directly attributing complicity to both President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He declared that such statements from the president amounted to a moral and political crisis.
During his floor speech, Green emphasized the gravity of Trump’s rhetoric, suggesting it amounted to promoting crimes against humanity. He criticized Netanyahu for remaining silent, invoking historical context by referencing the suffering of Jewish people. Green cited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous quote — “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” — to argue that injustice in Gaza directly affects America’s moral standing. He framed his impeachment push not just as a legal measure but a moral necessity, urging fellow lawmakers and citizens alike to stand for human rights.
Green’s call to action took on a populist tone, urging a grassroots movement to demand accountability. He said that the effort to impeach would begin from “the bottom up,” rather than being imposed by Democratic leadership. “I did it before,” he declared, referencing his previous impeachment attempts, “and it was done.” However, despite Green’s impassioned plea, response from within his own party was tepid. Democratic Caucus Chair Peter Aguilar of California dismissed the initiative, saying, “It’s not a focus of our caucus.” This lukewarm reception suggested Green might be acting alone without broader Democratic support.
In the same news cycle, President Trump made headlines for a stark warning aimed at Iran. Speaking after signing an executive order to apply “maximum pressure” on Tehran, Trump revealed he had issued instructions to his advisers that, if he were assassinated and Iran was responsible, the U.S. response would be immediate and overwhelming. “They would be obliterated,” Trump stated bluntly. He added that President Biden lacked the “intelligence” to make such a bold deterrent threat. This marks one of the most direct presidential warnings of potential retribution for foreign attempts on a sitting president’s life.
The Justice Department had previously confirmed in November 2024 that an Iranian-backed plot to assassinate Trump had been disrupted. A September criminal complaint revealed that Farhad Shakeri, a 51-year-old Iranian national, had received orders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to surveil and eventually assassinate Trump. Shakeri had lived in the U.S. as a child but was deported 17 years ago following a prison sentence. Authorities alleged he was actively plotting Trump’s murder in the run-up to the 2024 election. However, he remains at large in Iran and has not yet been apprehended by U.S. officials.
The combination of Green’s impeachment push and Trump’s aggressive stance against Iran highlights the sharp tensions that continue to define the political landscape in the early months of Trump’s second term. While Green’s speech focused on the moral failings of U.S. foreign policy, particularly regarding Gaza, Trump doubled down on projecting military strength and domestic resolve. The two events — though separate in context — both reflect the ongoing domestic polarization surrounding Trump’s leadership, the U.S. role in the Middle East, and the public’s perception of justice, safety, and political accountability.
