Old North News

U.S. Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.) has opposed the impeachment of President Trump, saying it was unnecessary to impeach at a time when we should be healing.

Rouzer released a statement criticizing the Democrats' decision to impeach seven days before the inauguration. 

“Today’s impeachment is a knee-jerk reaction grounded in anger and disgust, which are genuine emotions that we all feel. But those are not legitimate or appropriate reasons to impeach — particularly when there have been no hearings and we still do not know the full set of facts from that day. This impeachment was rushed through with just hours’ notice, without a single hearing, any investigation, or any testimony. This is a dangerous precedent to set for future presidencies,” he said.

Pro-Trump Republicans have argued that the impeachment is being used as a political tool and the rushed decision is unconstitutional.

Questions have arisen whether or not Trump would be allowed to run again in 2024 if he were removed from office.

WUSA reports that if Trump was removed by the 25th Amendment, he could run again because that does not disqualify him from running again. Vice President Michael Pence refused the Democrats' request to remove Trump using the 25th Amendment.

However, if he is removed via an impeachment conviction, the answer gets a little more murky. Congress has the authority to disqualify someone from running for office.

In the past, there have been times that Congress has decided not to disqualify someone from  office, so Trump’s ability to run in 2024 depends on if Congress decides to disqualify him or not. Trump is the first American president to be impeached twice.