NewsAl Green, Democrats’ impeachment warrior, could lose his seat in Texas


Rep. Al Green has tried to impeach President Donald Trump six times.

None of the efforts have succeeded. And now, Green is in danger of losing his twelfth reelection race because of a new Texas map demanded by Trump allies that pits him against a fellow Democrat, Rep. Christian Menefee.

It would be an ignominious end for Green, one of Trump’s chief antagonists in the House who was recently escorted from the chamber during Trump’s State of the Union address after he stood in the aisle holding a protest sign that read, “Black people aren’t apes!” — a direct critique of a video depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama in racist imagery that the White House shared on social media.

Follow MS NOW’s midterm elections live blog for the latest updates and analysis on today’s biggest races across Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas.

Last year, Green was escorted from the chamber after he repeatedly interrupted and shouted within minutes of Trump’s speech. The House later voted to censure him.

House Democratic leaders haven’t always been supportive of Green’s antics. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., asked Democrats not to make a scene at the State of the Union, calling for “silent defiance.” Green did anything but. House Democratic leadership isn’t on board with the impeach Trump push.

Green was the first member of Congress to call for the impeachment of Trump on the House floor in 2017.

He first attempted to impeach Trump in 2017, during his first term, according to the Houston Chronicle, over what he alleged was tampering with the the FBI investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. In 2019, Green cited Trump’s comments and policy choices, as well as offensive comments he’d made about “women of color,” the Chronicle reported.

The latest attempt in early December — which was defeated by the House in 237 to 140 — was to punish Trump for suggesting that some lawmakers could be put to death for saying members of the military didn’t have to obey illegal orders.

“He is an abuser of presidential power,” Green said before the vote in a one-minute speech, per the Chronicle. “He has conducted himself in office such that persons are now threatening members of the judiciary, threatening members of the House of Representatives, threatening members of the Senate. Donald John Trump should never hold any office of public trust ever again.”

New map

The new Texas congressional map has reshaped district boundaries in a way that could put some Democratic incumbents at risk, including Green and Rep. Julie Johnson.



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