Smart politics or a publicity stunt? The man behind the latest effort to impeach Donald Trump

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan congressman is charging ahead — largely without support from his own party — in his attempt to impeach President Donald Trump, a move that comes as the congressman faces political trouble at home.

Second-term U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar has introduced seven articles of impeachment against the Republican president, which are all but certain to fail. Thanedar, who represents a safely Democratic Detroit-area district, is facing multiple primary challengers for a second time as some Democrats seek to shake up the party following the 2024 election.

Here’s the background.

Who is Shri Thanedar?

Thanedar, 70, represents Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, a solidly Democratic district in Detroit. He easily won reelection in the November general election.

Previously, he lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary to current Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2018 and then served one term in the state House of Representatives.

An immigrant from India, Thanedar has said he is pushing forward with an impeachment resolution because he feels compelled to defend the Constitution. He has put up advertisements in Michigan demanding that Congress impeach Trump.

When was he first elected?

Thanedar beat eight other Democratic candidates for the party nomination in 2022 before he went on to win his first term in Congress in November of that year. The win, however, left the city of Detroit without Black representation in Congress for the first time since the 1950s — a notable omission for a city that is nearly 80% Black.

Many prominent Black leaders of Wayne County and Michigan Democrats — including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan — threw their support behind other primary candidates in 2024. One of his most viable competitors, state Sen. Adam Hollier, was kept off the ballot after election officials found that he had not submitted enough valid signatures.

A businessman who made his career in the pharmaceutical and chemical world, Thanedar has poured millions of dollars of his own money into his political races, including $10 million on his unsuccessful run for governor.

Who is challenging Thanedar in the 2026 Democratic primary?

Two young Black Democrats, including Hollier, recently announced campaigns to unseat Thanedar in 2026. A spokesperson for Thanedar’s campaign did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment about the incumbent’s challengers.

Michigan Rep. Donovan McKinney launched his campaign for the position about two weeks ago. He has the backing of Justice Democrats, a group known for helping to elect progressive members to Congress, and he earned the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who represents the neighboring 12th Congressional district.

Thanedar’s district features part of one of the largest Arab American populations in the U.S. Since the Israel-Hamas war, many of his constituents have decried his support for Israel. Tlaib, who represents the city of Dearborn, is the only Palestinian American in Congress and opposed the Biden and Trump administrations’ unwavering support for Israel over the Gaza war.

“You all know I need a real partner in Washington, D.C. who will fight to represent and deliver for our Wayne County families,” Tlaib said in a video endorsing McKinney posted on social media Monday.

Why is Thanedar pressing for impeachment now?

Adrian Hemond, a Michigan-based political strategist, said the impeachment effort is likely to drive fundraising and mobilize support for Thanedar’s primary race, even as it is destined to fail. The move may also be an attempt to “box out” Thanedar’s primary challengers from media attention early in the race, he said.

“So it’s smart politics for him,” Hemond said.

Hollier called the impeachment resolution a “publicity stunt” in an interview with the Associated Press. He accused Thanedar of ignoring real needs of his district, such as veteran benefits and childcare.

“This is the kind of thing that Donald Trump wants Democrats to be doing,” Hollier said.

Thanedar is expected to force a floor vote on the matter before the end of the day, but Republicans and possibly some Democrats will likely vote to table it.

Can Trump be impeached?

Given the Republican majority in Congress, almost certainly not. Thanedar’s resolution is expected to fail in the House chamber.

If impeachment gained traction — more likely if Democrats gained a majority in next year’s midterm elections — it would represent a historic third time that Trump has faced efforts to impeach him after he was twice impeached during his first term as president — first in 2019 on charges related to withholding military aid to Ukraine as it confronted Russia and later on a charge of inciting insurrection over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters.

Trump was acquitted both times by the Senate.