House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he personally backed the idea of expunging Trump’s two impeachments and would bring it up to the conference to gauge support, a source said. McCarthy, a California Republican, has been working overtime to try and placate Trump after an interview last month in which he said he thinks the former president can win in 2024. McCarthy called Trump to apologize after the interview, claiming he misspoke on CNBC, sources told at the time. It is unclear what, if any, other promises were made on this call, but McCarthy disputed the assertion in the Politico reporting that he had promised to hold the vote. “No,” McCarthy told reporters Thursday when asked if he would commit to not holding a vote, he said it should “go through committee like anything else” The effort also cannot undo the two votes that were taken in 2019 and 2020 that impeached the former President. Those votes would still exist in the Congressional Record. “I understand they’re working on that,” Trump said as Trump signed hats and mingled with voters at his new New Hampshire office. “They better do it,” he said of the House vote to expunge the impeachment. “If McCarthy does his job, they’ll expunged both of those crappy impeachings,” a supporter said. “That’s what I want to see,” he added. “It’s a good thing that he’s doing his job,” a Trump supporter said of McCarthy. “He’s doing a good job,” the supporter added of McCarthy’s efforts to placate the president. The vote would be a fool’s errand, as leadership does not have the votes to pass this. So even if McCarthy indicated to Trump he’d do it, it’s unlikely votes would be there – likely further inflaming tensions. It has never been done before and it is unclear if expunging an impeachment is possible and it has never be done before. There is no clear procedural consequence of a resolution that portends to “expunge” Trump’s impeachment, according to guidance from the House Parliamentarian’s office. A non-binding House resolution expressing the sense of the chamber would not expungee the impeachment, or “expresses the sentiments of one chamber.” Not only would that measure not expungge the impeachment. The effort would also not undo the vote that was taken in 2018 and 2019 that impeaches the formerPresident. It would only express the House’s “sense of the Chamber” and not the ” sentiments of the entire chamber” The vote is expected to take place in the House of Representatives in the coming weeks or months, sources tell CNN. The House could vote on the measure as early as next week. It’s unclear if the vote will be held in the next few weeks or in the summer. The measure would not be binding, but it could be used to show the House that the House is unified in its support for the President’s re-election bid in 2024, sources say.
McCarthy told Trump he backed expunging impeachments but there’s no vote being scheduled. McCarthy: “I’m not going to back down on this issue”
