Updated 5/17/19 7:46am
Democrat Representative Al Green of Texas went the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday to hammer President Trump, referring to his appearance on MSNBC.
President Trump spoke at a rally in Panama City Beach, Florida on Wednesday where he said, “They think they’re going to win, and if you see the one man, he said ‘It’s the only way we’re going to beat him in 2020,’ to have to do this. The only way.”
In response, Green quipped:
“Last night, at a rally in Florida, the president referred to me as ‘that man.’ Mr. Speaker, I love my country, and still I rise. And I rise today to address the comment that the president made in referring to me as that man. Mr. Speaker, the video of what I said speaks for itself.
The president indicates that I said, the only way to get him out of office is to impeach him. But the video speaks for itself. But I do want to share with the president that he is right, I am that man. I’m that man, a liberated Democrat, a liberated Democrat in the spirit of Shirley Chisholm.
I’m unbought and unbossed Mr. President, you finally encountered at least one person that your money can’t buy, and your power doesn’t scare. You have a date with destiny, Mr. President. Your fate is in the hands of 435 members of Congress.
You are not above the law. No one is. Impeachment is in the hands of this Congress. That man, Mr. President, is a member of this Congress.”
Green continued:
“Mr. President, I assure you that the long arm of the law is reaching out for you. In this country, we will not allow you, or any other person, to hold yourself out as being above the law.
You have an appointment with history in this House of Representatives.
If no one else will bring you to justice, I will, Mr. President. Lawsuits and delay tactics will not deter me. You will not engage in the paralysis of analysis, as Dr. King put it. You won’t engage in paralysis of analysis such we will put this off until the next election.
Mr. President, your case will be brought before this House. It’s just a matter of time, Mr. President. It’s just a matter of time.”
Fox News reports:
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, one of the first lawmakers who called for President Trump’s impeachment, expressed his fears on Saturday that if Democrats don’t pursue his ousting, Trump “will get re-elected.”
Green was asked on MSNBC about how unpopular impeachment was among voters. MSNBC correspondent Phillip Mena pressed him with recent polling numbers from Quinnipiac showing 66 percent of voters were against impeachment — including 38 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of independents.
“Are you concerned that impeachment talk may actually help the president’s re-election?” Mena asked.
“I’m concerned that if we don’t impeach the president, he will get re-elected,” Green stated. “If we don’t impeach him, he will say that he has been vindicated, he will say the Democrats had an overwhelming majority in the House and they didn’t take up impeachment. he will say that we had a constitutional duty to do it if it was there and we didn’t. He will say that he has been vindicated.”
