Rep. Larsen calls for president's impeachment

Thursday U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-Everett) called for impeaching President Trump. Friday he shared his reasoning on the Everett Herald’s editorial page and his congressional website. Responding to the president’s attacks on four congressional representatives, all women of color, Larsen wrote “It is time to impeach Donald Trump.”

Larsen wrote “my decision to impeach hinges on that fundamental value of citizenship and the American dream,” The ten term representative, who has a master’s in public policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, finds “the president has no understanding of what it means to be a U.S. citizen, what it takes to become a citizen, or what it means to the people of the world to strive for the dream of being an American,”

The president’s remarks alone drove his decision Larsen said in a phone call with the Weekly News Monday. He understands his argument for impeachment is unique, but says Trump’s remarks so offended his understanding of our country that he felt compelled to call for impeachment. “The concept of citizenship is so fundamental to the United States. When the president undermined it with his comments it told me he shouldn’t be president,” Larsen said. “That is a fundamental principle of mine, that we should value citizenship.”

He also recognized the racism of Trump’s words and wrote, “His racism is disgusting.”

Monday Larsen was making stops in the district, including Bellingham. He said constituent comments were generally positive, based on posts to his Facebook page.

He noted ongoing constituent demands for impeachment in the last year. He has continually held that “nothing in my mind had me conclude an impeachable offense” was proven. Trump’s demand that the four representatives, all U.S. citizens, go back where they came from, completely changed his calculus.

Trump’s ongoing attacks galvanized his decision. “Impeachment is something that a member of congress should feel compelled to act on if the president warrants it. It is more of a have to than a want to,” he said.

In his Friday commentary Larsen reflected on the 400 year ideal of “the dream of America as a shining city on a hill” and of American exceptionalism fundamental to our culture’s fabric. Larsen believes the president’s statements work to destroy that dream. He wrote, “The president demonstrated last weekend that he has no understanding of the dream that is so fundamental to our exceptionalism and therefore does not deserve to be president.

The Everett Democrat quoted Alexander Hamilton’s essay on impeachment, written to support the adoption of the Constitution. Hamilton includes in the misconduct of public men “the abuse or violation of some public trust.” Larsen’s assessment: “For me, the president’s fundamental lack of understanding of the American dream violates that trust.”

Thursday Larsen acted.

He is not concerned about reaction in the district, saying impeachment “should be an issue of conscience.”

He has not heard from his congressional colleagues.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Seattle) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Seattle) are the other two members of Washington’s congressional delegation to call for an inquiry into impeachment.