Although President Richard Nixon was so fearful of impeachment he chose to resign before it could happen, the process concerning President Donald Trump might not be as serious as people think. Watergate might have been a big deal, but this impeachment may not be.
Only two presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Both were able to finish their terms and both offenses were less severe than what Trump is being accused of.
President Johnson was impeached for firing a cabinet secretary without the consent of Congress, and we all know Trump has a history of firing people willy-nilly. Clinton’s impeachment process started with a public affair, and well, Trump has acquired his own headlines in that territory. However, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be leaving the Oval Office anytime soon.
Trump is known for stretching the boundaries of what a typical president can and can’t do or say. Whether it be his off-script speeches or the accusations of sexual misconduct against him, it seems like the United States is just used to his behavior despite the efforts of other political figures.
The failure of the Mueller Probe, which investigated Trump’s link with Russia during the 2016 election, is the perfect example of this. The investigation not only took two years, but it also cost $32 million and achieved no clear end result. To be fair, the investigation was riddled with problems. No charges were placed on Donald Trump Jr. for conspiring with WikiLeaks, and Mueller failed to question the president under oath.
Maybe the problem isn’t that people aren’t trying, but rather, people aren’t trying hard enough.
However, recent developments show things seem to be changing. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi finally launched a formal impeachment inquiry against Trump just days after it was revealed through a letter from a government whistleblower (supposedly from the CIA) that he was allegedly working with the Ukrainian government. Ironically, it sort of resembles the Watergate scandal with a Republican president trying to spy on his Democratic opponents.
Could it be that Trump wants to set the record for most scandalous presidency ever? With what he’s done so far, it seems like it.
So far, it’s fair to be excited about this impeachment inquiry. It seems this allegation has the most solid backing of support and evidence. Plus, this is the first official impeachment process against him.
The fact that the majority of the Democratic Party has always wanted Trump to be impeached hasn’t been a secret. The question of impeachment seems to arise almost everyday (or at least every time Trump does something questionable).
This, unfortunately, could be one of the downfalls of the impeachment process.
An alarming amount of the nation seems to be questioning the legitimacy of this inquiry. According to a poll conducted by CBS, 55 percent of Americans approve of the impeachment inquiry of Trump — but what about the other 45 percent? Individuals like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell believe it’s all part of an “impeachment parade” made by Democrats in order to reverse the results of the 2016 election. This of course, does not look good for its legitimacy.
Whatever it is, we can’t know for sure until it actually happens — or if it even happens in the first place.
The Editorial Board consists of Zora Viel, Opinions Editor; Amanda Rosa, Editor-in Chief; Kelly Hayes, Digital Managing Editor; and Tranelle Maner, Engagement Managing Editor.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., steps away from a podium after reading a statement announcing a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
