Republicans can’t impeach Joe Biden, at least not yet

Impeachment is always a political act. Calling for impeachment is the same

Marjorie Taylor Greene (AP)

The ongoing chaos in Afghanistan has led many Republicans to, understandably, criticize President Joe Biden. But at the same time, some have decided to go a step further and call for his impeachment.

Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene filed three articles of impeachment last week against Mr Biden, while Sen Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, his former friend, has called for his impeachment as well.

But if the idea of impeaching Mr Biden sounds ludicrous and politically unfeasible, that’s because it is. While Mr Graham, who went from being one of former president Donald Trump’s biggest critics to his biggest apologist in the Senate, and Ms Greene, who has done nothing but promote absurd conspiracy theories and antagonize her fellow members, may want to “take advantage of the crisis,” there is little to no feasible way for it to begin, at least for now.

First and foremost, the major reason is that Republicans are in the minority in the House and the Senate. While some Democrats may not be happy with how Mr Biden managed Afghanistan, immigration or the eviction moratorium, all of which Ms Greene cited, they aren’t going to collaborate with Republicans to impeach him.

But even other Republicans might not be so keen to move on articles promoted by a congresswoman like Ms Greene, who is often seen as a liability. In a time when House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants to grow his caucus and take out vulnerable Democrats, impeachment would only feed into accusations that Republicans are captive to the most fringe elements of their party.

The remote chance of this passing the House aside, if it makes it to the Senate, Republicans would again have to contend with the fact they are in the minority and two-thirds of all Senators need to vote for a conviction. In the last impeachment earlier this year, only seven Republican Senators broke rank.

Impeachment has and always will be a political question. It’s about the political will of members of one party to throw their weight behind it; it requires members of the president’s party to feel that the president is enough of a political liability that it is best to throw him out. And as of right now, no matter how politically contentious Afghanistan is, there is little to no incentive for Democrats or Republicans to jump on it for now.