Meeks: Impeaching Trump right now ‘does not make any sense’

Rep. Gregory Meek speaks at a Crain’s panel on local infrastructure on Wednesday. Eagle photo by Jonathan Sperling.

By Jonathan Sperling

U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, chairperson of the Queens County Democratic Party, told a Manhattan crowd Wednesday that he does not support impeaching President Donald Trump at the moment “because you can't convict him of anything.”

Meeks made the remarks at a conference about local infrastructure hosted by Crain’s at the New York Athletic Club.

Near the end of a panel discussion, an audience member asked Meeks if he would support impeachment proceedings against the president. Meeks said there wasn’t enough support from the Senate, but added the House would continue to investigate Trump's behavior in office and during his 2016 presidential campaign.

“You could impeach him tomorrow, but what does it mean?" Meeks said, recalling his past work as an assistant district attorney. “You can indict a ham sandwich, but if you can't convict him, what does it mean? And so my estimation is, to impeach the president at this moment does not make any sense, because you can't convict him of anything, and he would still be here tomorrow.”

Meeks’ comments echoed similar statements made my House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Meeks 5th congressional district, which includes Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, Jamaica and Queens Village, voted overwhelmingly in favor of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. He said moderate Democrats would not support impeachment.

“It's important as you look at districts other than mine, as you look at districts that actually put us in the majority in Washington, D.C., from different parts of rural America, et cetera, that you bring the facts to them. Then they will come along with us,” Meeks said. "But I am not for impeaching the president at the current moment."