Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) has expressed opposition to a potential House vote aimed at expunging the impeachments of former President Donald Trump. Bacon, who is retiring, stated that such plans would not be well received and suggested that Republicans should focus on issues like defense spending and reforms to legal immigration and Social Security. He indicated that he would likely oppose the expungement vote on the House floor.
Reports indicate that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has discussed the expungement with Trump and his allies, although a vote is not expected to occur immediately. Critics have pointed out that there is no constitutional mechanism to reverse an impeachment, labeling the idea as absurd. Despite this, some Republicans have pursued symbolic legislation to void the impeachments, gaining momentum after the Trump administration declassified documents that they claim undermine the impeachment trials.
Trump was impeached twice during his presidency: first in 2019 for abuse of power related to Ukraine, and again in 2021 for his actions surrounding the Capitol riot. In both instances, he was acquitted by the Senate. Johnson has referred to the expungement as a priority, asserting that it is necessary to correct what he views as sham impeachments. Bacon's opposition is significant given the narrow Republican majority in the House, and any move to revisit Trump's conduct in office is expected to be contentious. Only two of the ten Republicans who voted for impeachment in 2021 remain in Congress, with one, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), set to retire soon. Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who also voted for impeachment, remarked that a vote cannot alter historical events or the records that future generations will examine.