It's "Article" of impeachment because there's only one item. The high crimes and misdemeanors are being a dictator, the planeload deportations, Kilmar Abrego Garcia's specific case, disobeying Judge Boasberg's orders, disobeying Judge Xinis's orders, disobeying the Supreme Court orders. He could have split them into different articles.
Green wrote a 3 page letter explaining why, here (PDF).
The articles of impeachment are here (PDF).
In his letter, he says:
"I cannot in good conscience, as a Member of Congress, having said what I have said, and knowing what I know --- wait for the next election to deal with authoritarian President Donald John Trump's pre-election threat to American democracy that has become a post-election assault on our government. The president has devolved American democracy into an authoritarianism, with himself as the authoritarian."
From the impeachment article:
"Resolved: That Donald John Trump, President of the United States, is unfit to be President, unfit to represent the American values of decency or morality, respectability and civility, honesty and propriety, reputability and integrity, is unfit to defend liberty and justice for all as extolled in the Pledge of Allegiance..."
He follows with Trump's violations of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the principles Lincoln laid out in his Gettysburg Address. And that the impeachment should be sent to the Senate.
The President, "shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors."
We don't need what's in Green's article. Trump has already committed Treason with his actions for Putin and against Ukraine, his attempts to kneecap NATO, and his actions against all intelligence recommendations. Bribery is attempting to take the Qatari 747, his cryptocurrency lotteries for access to him, all the hotel, golf course and resort deals across the MidEast. It really started before he took office with the inauguration donation haul. Where did that $270+ million go?
Trump should be impeached on all those crimes. This time, it isn't a single action like extorting Ukraine or causing the Insurrection. It's a load of buckshot with all the charges being the individual pellets. Shri Thanedar's 7 articles of impeachment lays out so many crimes that even the Senate should be able to convict him on one, if the articles ever get there. Forcing the Republicans to vote and then hear the outrage from their constituents, will serve a purpose. It puts them on notice immediately that they are not going to be re-elected.
Al Green's Article starts with an overview and then the Sean Hannity interview where Trump said he would only be a dictator for one day. It's been the longest day ever created.
"... did not end on day one, but instead continued through condoning the undermining of the judicial independence of the federal judiciary, disregarding the separation of powers, violating the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, denigrating Federal judges, condoning the flouting of orders of Federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court."
Green goes through the orders ignored by Trump. Donald can't just blame it on the lawyers. They're "his" lawyers. Then he gets to where Trump called for Boasberg to be impeached, which brought out the statement by Chief Justice Roberts on how decisions need to be obeyed and the way to deal with decisions you don't like is to appeal.
A big section follows with Kilmar Abrego Garcia's abduction and deportation to El Salvador when he had a court decision in 2019 that said he couldn't be sent there because of retribution that would occur. It started with a warrantless arrest. Just yanked off the street. There was no crime being charged.
From Justice Sotomayor: "The government's argument, moreover, implies that it could deport and incarcerate any person, including US citizens, without legal consequence, so long as it does so before a court can intervene."
If you're sneaky enough, fast enough, you can do things in the night and get away with it.
Green lays out how Trump, Bukele, Bondi, Rubio, and Miller were all in the same room and violated due process right then and there. Both Trump and Bukele lied saying they had no power to get Kilmar out of jail, and ignored the Supreme Court order to facilitate his return.
If you remember, Karoline Leavitt did a song and dance about the difference between "facilitate" and "effectuate." Facilitate means they would do something if Kilmar was standing on the border, where effectuate means get him out of jail at all costs. People didn't buy it then, either.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals said, "'Facilitate' is an active verb. It requires that steps be taken as the Supreme Court has made perfectly clear."
The court made it abundantly clear that if they got away with this ploy, US citizens would be next. Due process is due process and Trump was stepping all over it.
Green covers the attacks on judges and Justice Ketanji Brown spoke out saying they were not random, and designed to intimidate.
The most telling point at the end is the Meet the Press interview on May 4th, where when asked if he needed to uphold the Constitutional requirement of due process, Trump said, "I don't know."
"Wherefore, authoritarian president Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to democracy and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law. Donald John Trump thus warrants impeachment, trial and removal from office as he is unfit to be President."
He is also mentally incapable of carrying out the duties of the President of the United States. The 25th Amendment should be called in here. But it won't, because his cabinet is just as corrupt as he is. JD Vance would never cross him.
The problem we're always faced with is if Trump is removed, we get JD Vance. If we did a double whammy and got rid of both of them, it would be Mike Johnson. We don't like him either, so you've got to do a triple whammy, and we get Marco Rubio. Rubio is the least bad choice. He's been an absolutely failure as Secretary of State, but he is not evil, I think. We would have impeach Vance and Johnson to get to Rubio. Or they could be convinced to step aside. Right.
There are no good choices, no good outcomes, but first Trump needs to be impeached, convicted and removed from office.
Sen. Jon Ossoff supports impeachment. I think it would be good for Senators to join the fray.
We have Thanedar's and now Green's article of impeachment. It only takes 5 Republicans to join the Democrats, but last word was Democratic leaders did not want to move forward with articles. "The time is always right to do what is right," and "these Republicans cannot know a moment's peace."
One step at a time. One day at a time and more people believe Trump needs to go. I believe there will be an unstoppable convergence to get rid of Trump. It's not if. It's when.
