Rep. Paul Gosar and other Republicans, poised to recapture House, want to impeach President Joe Biden

Rep. Paul Gosar said on Twitter that President "Joe Biden must be impeached," reiterating an ultra-conservative talking point and providing a preview of the GOP’s playbook if they regain control of the House, which could happen after Tuesday's midterm elections.

Gosar, R-Ariz., is unopposed on the ballot Tuesday in Arizona's 9th Congressional District.

The inflammatory comments are on brand for the five-term Gosar, who along with other far-right members of Congress have been able to use social media platforms to appeal to a fringe-Republican base by echoing baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen, among other rhetoric supporting former President Donald Trump, said Paul Bentz, a pollster at the Republican political consulting firm HighGround Inc.

"Their reputation, their fundraising, their ability to stay relevant is all based on saying outlandish and incendiary things," Bentz said in response to Gosar’s Oct. 30 tweet.

Gosar's provocative Twitter message followed a similar tweet the day before from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a fellow member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus. Greene’s simple two-word tweet — "Impeach Biden" — racked up thousands of retweets and likes and generated both praise and criticism from Twitter users.

While Gosar’s controversial tweets have helped elevate his online presence on the right, his reckless posts have cost him political power in Congress.

In November 2021, the House voted 223-207 to censure Gosar and stripped him of his committee assignments because he posted a graphic video on social media depicting himself committing violent acts against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Biden.

Inviting: Rep. Paul Gosar invites Russia's Putin and Ukraine's Zelenskyy to peace talks in Arizona

The censure provided no real practical consequences for Gosar, but it did earn him the endorsement of Trump one day after the House resolution passed. Trump proclaimed Gosar a loyal supporter of his “America First agenda” and labeled him a fierce advocate for low taxes, less government bureaucracy and the Second Amendment.

Other Republicans in Arizona’s congressional delegation already have taken steps against the sitting president.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., in September cosponsored and filed articles of impeachment against Biden, arguing that the president did not faithfully execute his constitutional oath of office when he failed to “secure the southern border,” extended the moratorium on evictions during the COVID-19 health pandemic and for his “withdrawal of United States forces from Afghanistan” in August, which resulted in the death of 13 U.S. service members.

The Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee did not consider those impeachment charges against Biden.

But as the GOP remains poised to take back the House, some Republicans see a fresh opportunity to pursue impeachment charges against Biden.

“Already we have numbers of filed resolutions (of) articles of impeachment,” Biggs said in a recent interview on The Charlie Kirk Show, a syndicated conservative radio program. “As soon as November happens, we have to update those and get those ready to prepare to refile again on day one.”

Election guide: November 2022

City races | School boards | State | Governor
| Ballot measures | Federal races | How to vote

Despite claims of impeachment against Biden by members of the House Freedom Caucus, Michael Gerhardt, a law professor for the University of North Carolina School of Law who testified to the House Judiciary Committee in Trump’s first impeachment trial, suspects that lawmakers are just using this message to rile up their base ahead of the midterm elections.

Under fire: Rep. Paul Gosar under bipartisan fire for again defending white nationalist

"Threatening to impeach a president is not unusual and can get attention from the media,” Gerhardt wrote in an emailed statement. “But there is no plausible case for impeaching Biden other than scoring political points with voters in Arizona.

"Yet, even if they do, there is no way that two-thirds of the Senate will vote to convict and remove him from office," he continued.

For years, impeachment served as a rare and sacred watchdog function in holding sitting presidents accountable. Now, some see its usefulness weakened as it has been leveraged by both parties following Trump’s two impeachment proceedings.

"This is a race (by lawmakers) to make the notion of impeachment purely political and nearly meaningless,” Bentz said.

Still, prominent Democrats have made it a point recently on the campaign trail to push back against Republican’s threats of impeachment against Biden.

Former President Barack Obama told rally-goers in Wisconsin that if the GOP regains control of Congress, “they will spend the next two years investigating President Biden and their political opponents.”

"They see it as payback," Obama said. "Now how is that going to help you pay your bills? How is that going to help your kids find a good job and career?"

The Arizona Republic's multiple efforts to seek additional comment from Gosar and Biggs were not successful.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rep. Paul Gosar wants to impeach President Biden