Billionaire begins town halls against Trump
A series of national townhall events demanding President Donald Trump’s impeachment was kicked off in Columbus Thursday night before a crowd of more than 100 people.
The event, held at the YWCA Downtown, was part of California billionaire and environmental activist Tom Steyer’s “Need to Impeach” campaign — the funding for which has come from his own pocket. Steyer has emerged as a harsh critic of Trump, appearing in personally bankrolled television commercials criticizing the president and calling for his impeachment.
Hundreds of tickets to the event were quickly snatched up by Steyer’s followers before they could be offered to the general public, a spokesman said in a previous Dispatch report. But the crowd was just a bit north of 100, and there were some empty seats at the Y, though not hundreds of them.
Steyer said impeaching Trump is not a partisan issue but an issue of patriotism and upholding the Constitution. “This president has met the historical criteria and the Founders' point in terms of criteria for impeachment,” Steyer said. “We’ve seen an absolute reluctance and unwillingness to protect our democracy.
“Donald Trump’s failure to respond to Russia’s attacks on the 2016 election is a betrayal of his oath of office that leaves the country, and everyone living in it, in jeopardy,” Steyer said in a statement.
Steyer's campaign has been widely publicized, with its petition to impeach Trump garnering more than 5 million signatures as of Thursday afternoon, according to the campaign’s website. The campaign’s activism goes beyond just grassroots mobilization with the announcement Thursday that it would be filing more than 200 Freedom of Information Act requests regarding the Trump family’s business interactions with the federal government, as well as others.
Among the campaign's reasons for impeaching Trump, as listed on its website, are alleged obstruction of justice and alleged violations of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which prohibits a president from accepting personal benefits or gifts from foreign governments or officials. The campaign alleges that Trump's gain from his international businesses violate this clause. Special counsel Robert Mueller has subpoenaed the Trump Organization, demanding documents, with some being related to Russia.
“The fact that he takes money from foreign powers on a daily basis makes me crazy,” Steyer said.Steyer’s fierce push to impeach Trump has put him at odds with some in the Democratic Party, to which he has donated billions. According to a
report, Senate Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer called impeachment a premature proposal, with Pelosi even expressing her concerns to Steyer over a phone call.At the event, Steyer acknowledged Democrats have questioned whether calling for impeachment is appropriate.“It is always appropriate to speak the truth to each other as American citizens,” Steyer said.
Some lawmakers back impeachment, including Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat whose 3rd District encompasses part of downtown Columbus, the campaign said in a release. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, attempted to impeach Trump based on reported vulgar comments Trump used to describe African countries, though the House in January voted down his proposal 355-66. Steyer remained undeterred at the Columbus rally.“This is not something where we have the establishment behind us in any way, shape or form,” Steyer said. “This is very much an attempt to get the people of the United States across the country to make their voices heard.”
Trump previously blasted Steyer in a tweet, calling the billionaire "whacky" and "unhinged."
Ohio Republican party spokesman Blaine Kelly went after Steyers in a previous Dispatch report.
“If Tom Steyer, the king of dark money, thinks Ohioans will take his calls to impeach President Trump and kill our energy industry seriously, he has another thing coming," Kelly said.
The town-hall event in Columbus was the first in a series of 30 across the country, according to the campaign. The next events will be held in the Cincinnati and Washington, D.C.. areas.