Trump seems to reveal he has no clue how impeachment works

President Trump.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The inner workings of Washington, D.C. politics can be confusing, even for residents of the White House.

President Trump inadvertently revealed his fuzzy understanding of the impeachment process while talking to reporters on Thursday. "I can't imagine the courts allowing it," he said, when asked for his thoughts on the matter.

See more

But impeachment, which Trump called a "dirty, filthy, disgusting word," doesn't take place in "the courts," it's a process handled by Congress.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

While a growing number of Democrats have called for proceedings to begin, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and a number of pundits have speculated that Trump is essentially begging to be impeached, since he could see it as playing to his political advantage. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough argued that Trump wants the House to impeach him so he can then be acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate. However, that theory would require Trump to understand that the process would occur within the two chambers of Congress, which, judging by the clip above, doesn't seem to be the case.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.