The White House has called a grassroots movement seeking the impeachment of President Donald Trump "minuscule" despite the rising number of signatures, according to a Newsweek report.
Nearly 200,000 people have signed the Change.org petition as of Tuesday, which has nearly doubled since January. The petition cites its main concerns and several reasons for launching the campaign:
"Greed, corruption, and a lack of accountability in leadership have run rampant under Donald Trump's administration. This is not a matter of political views but of human rights and justice. The exploitation of the American people and the blatant disregard for our wellbeing has reached unprecedented levels. As citizens of this nation, we find ourselves under policies that threaten our rights, our democracy, and our future."
It also describes the economy as in "shambles" after Trump's leadership.
The White House has responded to Newsweek with the following statement:
"80 million Americans sent President Trump to the White House, the number of individuals signing this online petition is minuscule in comparison and they are free to express their Trump Derangement Syndrome however they see fit," said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson.
Trump is the only president to have been impeached twice.
His first impeachment in December 2019 was on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after he allegedly pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate political rival former President Joe Biden while withholding military aid; he was acquitted by the Senate. His second impeachment in January 2021 came after the January 6 Capitol attack, with charges of incitement of insurrection for allegedly encouraging supporters to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election results; he was again acquitted by the Senate.
