'Trump risks impeachment if war continues'

Popularity of US President Donald Trump is waning with approval ratings at its lowest, according to former diplomat Mahesh Sachdev, who notes that with two-thirds of Americans not approving of a continuation of the war on Iran, Trump faces the risk of being impeached.

In an interview with ANI, Sachdev said that Trump also faces a constitutional roadblock, as the US President now has to get approval of Congress for further continuation of the war.

"The growth rate of the first quarter has fallen to 0.5 per cent, which is much lower than the previous 4.5 per cent. Furthermore, the President's approval ratings in the United States have fallen drastically and are currently at their lowest point. In particular, more than two-thirds of Americans do not approve of a continuation of the war," he said.

Sachdev further noted that while the US Congress has a Republican majority, many Republicans and most Democrats are not in favour of continuing the war because midterm elections are only seven months away.

"Trump also faces a constitutional difficulty. According to the American Constitution, the President has the power to wage wars outside the country, but within 60 days of initiating conflict, he must obtain Congressional approval. The war has already lasted 40 days, and with five days of the pause already passed, only about 15 days remain. If he wants to continue the war, he will need to go to Congress. While Congress has a Republican majority, many Republicans and most Democrats are not in favour of continuing the war because midterm elections are only seven months away," he said.

Sachdev further said that if the conflict continues, Trump may be at risk of getting impeached.

"Continued conflict may negatively impact Republican candidates. If the President loses his majority in both houses of Congress, there is a real danger that he may face impeachment, particularly regarding the Epstein files, where he and his associates have been mentioned multiple times. All these factors together mean Trump faces significant domestic and logistical challenges in prosecuting the war," he said. -- ANI