Many Americans assume impeachment results in the removal of the President or another elected official from office. Recently, it has been muddled in the murky waters of political rhetoric that inhibit basic civic understanding for the average American. The topic of impeachment is a catalyst for passionate debate from all sides of the political spectrum and is bound to result in raised emotions and even greater division.
According to the U.S. Constitution, impeachment is the process through which the House of Representatives brings charges against a government official for alleged crimes. Once articles for impeachment are drawn, they go to the Senate for a proper trial. The Senate will then decide the fate of the elected official. It is only following a successful conviction through the impeachment process that the official in question would be removed from office. In the case of a failed conviction, the elected official is all but guaranteed the success of a base rejuvenated by their untouchable upright leader. Many Americans fail to realize that there is a difference between impeachment and removal from office.
On Sept. 24th, the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced that the House will be preparing to undergo an inquiry into the impeachment of the current President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.
The charge comes down to the interpretation of the phrase “high crimes and misdemeanors.” This phrase is the basis for which impeachment charges may be drawn. A White House whistleblower revealed a phone call authorizing criminal activity had been made between President Trump and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 25th. According to the summary of a White House call log, Trump asked for Zelensky to investigate former Vice President and 2020 Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden and his son. Weeks before the call, Trump ordered the halt of hundreds of millions of dollars of military aid to Ukraine, prompting speculation Trump was using the money as leverage to aid his reelection.
While there may be some truth that there were questionable actions undertaken by Trump, there exist very real concerns about the validity of the claims on the left. Constitutionally, there is a great deal of leeway for House Democrats on account of the phrase “treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors” being so ambiguous. Historically, Presidents have been impeached for a variety of charges ranging from obstruction of justice, as was the case with Clinton, and misappropriation of government resources for political gain, as was the case with Nixon. These charges would establish a precedent for house lawmakers to pursue charges against Trump, as it would be fairly easy to interpret his actions as a misuse of government resources. However, Presidents can be impeached on whatever charge a majority of the House will find to fit under the phrase “high crimes and misdemeanors”.
With the release of a transcription of the President’s phone call with the Ukranian president, vocalization for impeachment has steadily increased. According to a data poll released by FiveThirtyEight, the support varies across the political spectrum. A majority of Democrats are polled with 84.7 percent favoring impeachment. Republicans were polled at 12.6 percent and Independents at 45.9 percent supporting the impeachment. This survey concluded that average support for impeachment is roughly 48 percent, meaning that a significant number of Americans champion an impeachment.
Those who favor an impeachment claim that the President has exhibited abuse of power, which warrants immediate action from Congress. These supporters of impeachment argue that a crime was committed and that it is the responsibility of our elected officials to pursue action. These supporters more often than not fail to grasp the subjectivity that is inherent to the matter of impeachment. While noble in their intentions, these people may not understand that the system does not exist to debate right from wrong, but rather is concerned with what constitutes the subjective phrase ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’.
Those who oppose impeachment claim that it would be detrimental to the Democratic Party in the upcoming election. They believe that the actions of Democrats could reinvigorate Trump’s base. Statuses of both houses of Congress could allow us to predict future outcomes. As of the 2018 Midterm election, Democrats have 235 seats in the House. Only seven of those Democrats have yet to declare support for impeachment. The 200 seats that have not yet supported impeachment represent an obstacle for the 290 in the supermajority. Provided Democrats could get the supermajority needed to continue with impeachment, proceedings would move to the Senate. Recognizing that no sitting President has been voted to be removed from office, and that the Republican-controlled Senate will most likely not grant the supermajority of 67 votes needed with the 2020 Election around the corner, opponents of impeachment believe that this provides reason as to why the Democrats must be cautious in their desire to impeach President Trump. Those opposed to impeachment suggest that a botched impeachment could secure Trump’s spot in the White House for another four years.
We can not ignore, however, the concerning lack of evidence that has led many who do not understand impeachment to take radical stances while officials are currently in the preliminary investigation phase. If Democrats hope to vanquish Trump, they must explore avenues that match the desires of their constituents, and they must recognize their constituents may not be the people who share their values. If Republicans hope to maintain their growing control of the government, then they must recognize that support for impeachment may soon be a popular demand. Regardless of where you stand, one thing remains clear: if our elected officials hope to maintain power, it will be in their best interest to be more honest with American citizens, as it is the people who hold the true power.