Eric Holder: Trump conviction could lead to impeachment, removal from office

Former Attorney General Eric Holder said Sunday that a possible conviction of former President Trump, if he’s elected to a second term as president in 2024, would lead to an impeachment proceeding and him being eventually removed from office. 

During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki,” host Jen Psaki mentioned to Holder that Trump is remaining committed to his 2024 presidential campaign, despite facing his second indictment in the past two months. 

“Well, the notion that you could have a trial, defend it, be convicted, somehow win the election, be sworn in as a president, or whenever it happens, that seems inconsistent with our notion of fairness, of the rule of law,” Holder said. “At that point, I would hope that an impeachment proceeding might be considered. Not only considered, brought. And, ultimately, he would be moved from office.” 

“The notion that a convicted felon, convicted felon, would serve as president of the United States is absurd. It’s simply absurd,” Holder added. 

When asked if there should be an impeachment hearing and proceedings in Congress if Trump is convicted, Holder agreed, saying in part that people have “underestimated the impact of this indictment,” also noting Trump’s indictment in a Manhattan court in April and the ongoing investigations he faces in Georgia and in Washington, D.C. 

“I’m not a political pundit, but I think at some point, you certainly won’t get beyond, you know, the Trump cult base, but for people who are on the fringes of that, the outside of that, are likely to have been negatively impacted by all of these cases brought against the former president,” Holder added. “I think that that will have some electoral effect. And so, the likelihood that he’ll be able to survive this and win a general election, I think, is pretty small.”

Speaking at the North Carolina GOP convention, Trump said that he’s standing firm on his 2024 presidential campaign. 

“I will never yield,” Trump said. “I will never be deterred.”

Trump, who announced his 2024 presidential campaign last November, was charged with 37 counts Friday for his alleged mishandling of classified material and efforts to prevent the federal government from retrieving them, according to the unsealed indictment.