AOC says Trump committed impeachable offenses: 'Without a shadow of a doubt'

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez weighed in on the possibility of President Donald Trump facing impeachment during his second term, stating that she believes he has “absolutely” committed impeachable offenses.

The New York congresswoman shared her views while speaking with reporters on Monday, January 12. Her remarks came amid renewed scrutiny over controversial actions by Trump, particularly the military action against President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela and the failure to inform Congress.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Donald Trump's impeachable offenses

While addressing reporters, Ocasio-Cortez was asked about her stance on impeachment following several controversial moves by the Trump administration, including this month’s military action in Venezuela.

Responding candidly, she said, “Personally, I think the criminality of what we’ve been seeing from this administration is quite clear.” She emphasized that the challenge surrounding impeachment is not a lack of potential grounds, but rather deciding which actions to formally pursue.

“The hard part about impeachment is what in the litany of illegal actions have been taken do you actually draft articles on,” she explained.

When asked directly whether she believed Trump had committed impeachable acts, Ocasio-Cortez answered without hesitation, "Absolutely. Absolutely. Without a shadow of a doubt." 

She added that her concerns date back to the very beginning of the administration, pointing specifically to “the seizure of funds that are mandated to go out.” According to Ocasio-Cortez, this represented a clear violation, stating, “I think that line has been crossed — and the question is about the rest of the country.”

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on policy priorities and impeachment

Despite her strong statements, Ocasio-Cortez was careful when discussing whether she hoped fellow lawmakers would take a more proactive stance on impeachment, particularly with midterm elections approaching.

She framed the issue as one where multiple priorities can coexist, “Two things can be true at the same time. I think that accountability needs to be a core part of our governance.”

At the same time, Ocasio-Cortez stressed that impeachment has never been the central message of her political work, “I’ve personally never run to represent my district on grounds of impeachment or not.”

She explained that her constituents are primarily focused on policy issues that directly affect their lives, saying, “My community wants to hear about raising the minimum wage, expanding unions, strengthening healthcare.”

She emphasized the importance of maintaining a forward-looking agenda, adding, “I think it’s important that we have an affirmative positive vision for the country.” Still, she defended the idea that lawmakers should not avoid difficult decisions when necessary, stating that they should not “shy away from what needs to be done.”

Trump was notably impeached twice during his first term in office. The first impeachment occurred in 2020 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

He was impeached again in 2021 on a charge of incitement of insurrection following the January 6 Capitol attack. In both instances, the Senate ultimately acquitted him on all counts.