Staff Reports
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appears to have a particularly creative imagination. Fresh off the Supreme Court’s decisive 6-3 ruling that former President Donald Trump has a level of immunity for official decisions taken while in office, AOC has once again taken to social media, this time, pledging to bring articles of impeachment. One can’t help but wonder, impeachment against whom or what?
It seems AOC has adopted the Marlon Brando approach from “The Wild Ones”: “What have you got?” Predictably, the decision in Trump v. United States set leftist commentators and media into a frenzy, despite the ruling being far from extraordinary. Chief Justice John Roberts’ opinion maintained that a president “may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers,” thereby establishing a presumptive immunity for official acts. Roberts clarified that this immunity protects a president’s ability to perform duties fearlessly, without the constant threat of prosecution from political opponents.
AOC Sends Impeachment Threat to SCOTUS After Immunity Ruling for Trump – 'Assault on American Democracy': We can say this much about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The New York Democrat is nothing if not consistent in her denial of reality. In the wake… https://t.co/K3NKbZFk84 pic.twitter.com/qk4HJFSzbU
— NahBabyNah 🗳️Trump🗳️ (@NahBabyNah) July 2, 2024
Naturally, this caused the usual suspects on the left, including Justice Sonia Sotomayor, to react with dramatic flair, declaring that the ruling turns the Constitution on its head. Even more entertaining were the wild exaggerations from commentators like Elie Mystal of The Nation, postulating that the ruling gives the president free rein to commit heinous acts without consequence. Never mind the checks and balances inherent in our system; apparently, some folks enjoy indulging in their dystopian fantasies.
Adding to the theatrical display, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed that the Supreme Court’s ruling represents an existential threat to American democracy. The congresswoman vowed to file articles of impeachment, ostensibly targeting Republican-appointed justices, or Trump-appointed officials, or perhaps the very fabric of the judicial system itself. The exact target remains as unclear as the rationale behind Ocasio-Cortez’s frequent social media declarations.
It’s hard to take this bluster seriously, even as impeachment talk remains an ever-present tool for political grandstanding. The reality is, with Democrats not controlling the House, and with a conviction requiring a two-thirds vote in the Senate, the prospect of successfully passing such articles is less than zero. Even if AOC gained enough support to push it through, all it would accomplish is clogging up Congress with pointless squabbles at a time when they should be focusing on the midterms.
It’s another self-inflicted wound for the Democrats, who already face an uphill battle with sinking approval ratings and an uninspired debate performance from Joe Biden. But hey, in true AOC fashion, it felt right in the moment. Perhaps Ocasio-Cortez could take a cue from her own advice this time—do your job and stop playing political games.
