SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) speaks during the news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
(Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Trump 'Crossed the Line': House Dem Says Actions in LA Are Impeachable Offenses
Democratic Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York said that the president's deployment of Marines to Los Angeles is an "authoritarian escalation unlike any before in American history."
Jun 10, 2025
U.S. Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke, a Democrat from New York, said on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump's moves to send in National Guard troops and Marines in response to protests in Los Angeles rise to the level of impeachable offenses.
Protests began on Friday to oppose federal immigration raids on workplaces.
Clarke made the remarks while speaking at a Tri-Caucus press conference on Tuesday that was convened to address Trump's recent actions around the protests. The Tri-Caucus includes the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
Asked by a reporter if she believes Trump's actions around the Los Angeles protests rise to the level of impeachable offenses, Clarke said: "I do. I believe it is. I definitely believe it is, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
According to an NBC News write-up of her remarks, Clarke also said that "this president has crossed the line" and called Trump's decision to deploy Marines to Los Angeles a "waste of taxpayer dollars."
On Monday, a day before the press conference, Clarke released a statement calling Trump's deployment of Marines an "authoritarian escalation unlike any before in American history."
"This all started with peaceful protests against the inhumane kidnapping of our immigrant neighbors. The LAPD had largely contained this situation before it was exacerbated by National Guardsmen whom the president illegally seized control over," said Clarke, referencing the Los Angeles Police Department. "And now, under the pretense of crushing the very chaos he created, the president has ordered 700 active-duty Marines to engage in so-called law enforcement, which they have no legal or ethical right to conduct."
Two House Democrats have launched impeachment efforts this year, though they have not gained traction with the broader Democratic caucus.
Trump was impeached twice by the House of Representatives during his first term, but in both cases he was acquitted by the Senate. Both chambers of Congress are now controlled by the Republican Party.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
U.S. Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke, a Democrat from New York, said on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump's moves to send in National Guard troops and Marines in response to protests in Los Angeles rise to the level of impeachable offenses.
Protests began on Friday to oppose federal immigration raids on workplaces.
Clarke made the remarks while speaking at a Tri-Caucus press conference on Tuesday that was convened to address Trump's recent actions around the protests. The Tri-Caucus includes the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
Asked by a reporter if she believes Trump's actions around the Los Angeles protests rise to the level of impeachable offenses, Clarke said: "I do. I believe it is. I definitely believe it is, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
According to an NBC News write-up of her remarks, Clarke also said that "this president has crossed the line" and called Trump's decision to deploy Marines to Los Angeles a "waste of taxpayer dollars."
On Monday, a day before the press conference, Clarke released a statement calling Trump's deployment of Marines an "authoritarian escalation unlike any before in American history."
"This all started with peaceful protests against the inhumane kidnapping of our immigrant neighbors. The LAPD had largely contained this situation before it was exacerbated by National Guardsmen whom the president illegally seized control over," said Clarke, referencing the Los Angeles Police Department. "And now, under the pretense of crushing the very chaos he created, the president has ordered 700 active-duty Marines to engage in so-called law enforcement, which they have no legal or ethical right to conduct."
Two House Democrats have launched impeachment efforts this year, though they have not gained traction with the broader Democratic caucus.
Trump was impeached twice by the House of Representatives during his first term, but in both cases he was acquitted by the Senate. Both chambers of Congress are now controlled by the Republican Party.
U.S. Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke, a Democrat from New York, said on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump's moves to send in National Guard troops and Marines in response to protests in Los Angeles rise to the level of impeachable offenses.
Protests began on Friday to oppose federal immigration raids on workplaces.
Clarke made the remarks while speaking at a Tri-Caucus press conference on Tuesday that was convened to address Trump's recent actions around the protests. The Tri-Caucus includes the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
Asked by a reporter if she believes Trump's actions around the Los Angeles protests rise to the level of impeachable offenses, Clarke said: "I do. I believe it is. I definitely believe it is, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
According to an NBC News write-up of her remarks, Clarke also said that "this president has crossed the line" and called Trump's decision to deploy Marines to Los Angeles a "waste of taxpayer dollars."
On Monday, a day before the press conference, Clarke released a statement calling Trump's deployment of Marines an "authoritarian escalation unlike any before in American history."
"This all started with peaceful protests against the inhumane kidnapping of our immigrant neighbors. The LAPD had largely contained this situation before it was exacerbated by National Guardsmen whom the president illegally seized control over," said Clarke, referencing the Los Angeles Police Department. "And now, under the pretense of crushing the very chaos he created, the president has ordered 700 active-duty Marines to engage in so-called law enforcement, which they have no legal or ethical right to conduct."
Two House Democrats have launched impeachment efforts this year, though they have not gained traction with the broader Democratic caucus.
Trump was impeached twice by the House of Representatives during his first term, but in both cases he was acquitted by the Senate. Both chambers of Congress are now controlled by the Republican Party.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.