Trump & Impeachment: Do the Rewards Outweigh the Consequences?
“Impeach Trump”?
By Gillian Gravatt
The Progressive Teen Contributor
“IMPEACH TRUMP” IS A PHRASE THAT HAS BEEN PLASTERED across the news and social media feeds of many since the controversial forty-fifth president took office in January of 2017. Its corresponding hashtag has over 535 thousand posts on Instagram, and this number is constantly growing. The slogan is even printed on bumper stickers, posters, and t-shirts. It is a clear and present example of increased public political awareness during the Trump-era.
Although impeachment seems an obvious answer for some, the process by which it occurs is far more complicated than it appears. Only two U.S. presidents have ever been impeached by the House of Representatives, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, and neither of them was actually removed from office. A fully successful impeachment would require not only a majority vote in the House, but also a 2/3 vote in the Senate. Still, it is widely believed that Trump’s impeachment is possible, justified, and necessary. In order for it to occur, however, movements must first be made in the House by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi has been called upon by many to take the first steps and “get the ball rolling” on impeaching Trump. It is a constant topic of discussion by Democrats, and, according to Time Magazine, “Whether Democrats will move to impeach Trump is the biggest political issue of 2019.” In a recent interview with the Washington Post, Pelosi stated that “Impeachment is so divisive to the country […] [Trump is] just not worth it.” This statement further ignited a controversy that has existed for some time now; some House Democrats attacked Pelosi, arguing that impeachment would be the logical choice, while others supported her ideas, making a move toward more non-partisan politics. In addition to varying viewpoints in the House, public opinion on the matter has fluctuated greatly over the past two years.
The infographic above demonstrates a fairly steady decline in support for impeaching Trump between July 2017 and November 2018. Contrarily, a poll released in August 2018 by the Washington Post in collaboration with ABC News reported that almost half (49%) of the people surveyed wanted to see Trump impeached. Despite earlier downward trends, support for impeachment seems to be thriving amidst the many scandals surrounding the President and his policies. Many Democrats believe that impeaching Trump is necessary for the preservation of American democracy, and that this mission is worth any political polarization that may come as a result. For example, Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin disagreed with Pelosi’s statement that Trump is “not worth” impeaching, saying, “The question is whether the republic is worth it.” Some still stand behind Pelosi’s stance and criticize those who are making the strongest pushes for impeachment, citing the complexities and weighty risks of the political move. The Editorial Board of the Los Angeles Times claimed, “Some members of Congress have discussed Trump’s removal so blithely, it’s as if they don’t sense the gravity of such a move.”
Pelosi’s ideas about impeachment, at present, rely on the concept that the impeachment of Trump is an option rather than an inevitable outcome. Representative John Yarmuth of Kentucky spoke to the exact opposite, stating, “[Impeachment is] not a matter of whether, it’s a matter of when.” Yarmuth is nowhere near alone in this ideology, with Representative Adam Schiff of California explaining, “We have already seen deeply concerning evidence of the President’s lack of fitness for office, the degree to which profound conflicts of interest may be guiding his foreign policy, as well as evidence of criminality on the part of the President.” In spite of this, Donald Trump himself claimed that if he was impeached, “people would revolt,” and cited a successful economy as proof of his competency as president.
Amongst calls to action from numerous Democratic Representatives, Nancy Pelosi stands strong in her resistance to impeachment. It is easy to make statements both with Pelosi and against her, but it must be recognized that the situation at hand is unorthodox and cannot be decided based solely on precedent. Donald Trump and his administration have broken many glass ceilings, so it is realistic to assume that his impeachment (or lack thereof) will be unlike any other this country has ever seen.
