After mass shootings, Congressman Green renews effort to impeach President Trump

Congressman Al Green, R-Houston, shown in a 2018 photo, has called again for the impeachment of President Donald Trump after two mass shootings that left nearly 30 people dead. Green spoke in Houston on Monday, Aug. 5, 2019. less Congressman Al Green, R-Houston, shown in a 2018 photo, has called again for the impeachment of President Donald Trump after two mass shootings that left nearly 30 people dead. Green spoke in Houston on Monday, ... more Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Houston Chronicle Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close After mass shootings, Congressman Green renews effort to impeach President Trump 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Texas Congressman Al Green called again for the impeachment of President Donald Trump after two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio that left nearly 30 people dead in less than 24 hours.

The only way to deal with bigotry, he said, "is to rid ourselves of a ruthless, reckless, lawless president who engages in bigotry, infuses it into policy and does all that he can to weaponize it so he can win elections."

Green spoke to reporters from his district office in Houston Monday morning.

On Saturday, a 21-year-old from the Dallas area drove more than 600 miles to the border town of El Paso and killed 21 people inside a Walmart. In a four-page manifesto written by the man, he said it was in response to what he called the "Hispanic invasion" of Texas.

Then on Sunday morning, another man drew his weapon and killed another nine people in Dayton, Ohio, before being fatally shot by the police there. His motives are not clear yet.

After offering his sympathies and condolences to those affected by both tragedies, Green accused Trump of engaging in what he called "distraction action," in response to the president's remarks Monday morning where he talked about mental health, video games and the role of the media in these mass shootings.

Instead, he said, the president could have called for universal background checks, to close gun show loopholes, find ways to deal with what he referred to as weapons of war that are on the streets of America, go after manufacturers and declare a national emergency just as he did to build a border wall.

Declaring a national emergency, he said, would allow Trump to get the funds to buy back some of the weapons already on the street and fight a war against white nationalist terrorism.

"We have had opportunities to do something," he said, starting with impeachment, which he said Congress not only has the power to do it, but also the responsibility.