Calling for Trump’s removal, Schumer signals more aggressive posture for Democrats moving forward

Following a weak performance by down-ballot Democrats in November, many progressives have been bracing themselves for more of that light Democratic touch—a complete reversion to the centrism mindset that dominated the ’90s and early aughts. And to be sure, congressional Democrats now face real challenges in both chambers, with a one-vote edge in the Senate (where Democrats still need 10 more votes to reach the 60 needed to beat a filibuster) and just 222 Democrats in the lower chamber (where 218 votes are needed to pass legislation). But you don’t get what you don’t try for, and for far too long congressional Democrats have been their own worst enemy in terms of negotiating themselves down before they even get to the bargaining table.

That’s why Schumer caught my eye prior to the election last year when he sent several signals that Democrats needed to act more aggressively than they had during the first two years of Barack Obama’s presidency when they had commanding majorities in both chambers. In the months leading up to the election, Schumer rejected his longtime centrist persona, pondered an FDR-style response to the problems facing the nation if Democrats controlled the levers of government, and warned Republicans that “nothing is off the table for next year” if they proceeded to ram through a replacement for recently passed Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

So Schumer announcing his strong support for removing Trump by any legal means possible in the wake of his betrayal of the country suggests Schumer meant what he said last fall, which would in turn incentivize House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to push her caucus as far as it can go in passing progressive legislation as quickly as possible in the early stage of Biden’s presidency. 

Leadership matters. Since Schumer issued his strong call for Trump’s removal Thursday morning, momentum has already grown exponentially. Speaker Pelosi has joined the effort. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has finished drafting Articles of Impeachment and Democratic support for either impeaching Trump or invoking the 25th Amendment keeps rolling in. These are the signs we want to see in the days immediately following Democrats’ historic victories in two Georgia Senate runoffs. Keep it coming, Democrats. Time to save the American enterprise—this isn’t a dress rehearsal.