Trump seems to have little respect for the norms of politics(not that all the norms are good, but some exist for a reason), and doesn’t really seem to care much about the law or the Constitution. It seems likely if he is elected that he will try to do a lot of things he just can’t do. Under a normal President, we’d let the courts work that kind of thing out. But Trump is so egregrious, and the GOP establishment has little loyalty to him.
So my question is, should they be quick to pull the trigger on impeachment if he so much as steps out of line once? I think they should. He poses a very real threat to our system of government if unchecked. Hopefully, the normal separation of powers and some useful insubordination within his own administration will be sufficient, but if not… I really don’t think Congress should give him multiple chances. One strike and you’re out.
No. Impeachment is not a popularity contest, and should not be routinely considered by the losing party after every election. If the American people elect any candidate, they have to live with the possibility that once elected, that candidate might do something horrendously stupid and outrageously illegal at any time. You don’t get to remove them from office before that actually happens.
This is both very normative and nothing like what’s written into the Constitution, as I’m sure you’re aware. Otherwise, Clinton would never have been impeached.
OTOH, if Trump wins the White House, down-ballot effects will ensure a House and Senate so far to the red that nobody would dare to even draw up articles of impeachment.
No, because there will be incentive to scrutinize everything he says or does through the lens of its legality whether warranted or not. He will be charged with crossing the line more often than not simply because he is not liked by the majority.
We know that a president can be impeached for perjury, even about the most innocuous of matters. Trump is a lying machine. He wouldn’t have to actually commit a crime. His lies could simply be banked by a hostile Congress until the opportune time to use one of them against him arises.
I can’t stand Trump but if he’s going to start his presidency with a target on his back then what’s the point of going through the farce of an election ever again?
Probably, bit I’ll bet that in two years there will be a backlash, and we’ll see a Democratic legislature.
Yes, but Trump talks like he doesn’t know that. He seems to think that he’s running for king, or pope, or something-- maybe CEO-- he’s familiar with that. CEOs are a lot more like despotic rulers than democratically elected rulers in a checks and balances system.
If Trump gives cause to be impeached, he should be impeached. We shouldn’t go out of our way to gin up some excuse. We should just give him a day or two and wait for him to inevitably screw up.
But yeah, realistically - if Trump wins it would mean a Republican congress and they wouldn’t make a move against him, even if they’re all secretly hoping that he slips in the shower.
Given how confused GOP has been acting, I actually wonder if they will ever be able to build unity to throw Trump to the curb. They had enough chances through all preceding months of the campaign and have failed to unite both in support or against him. This was true even for the recent “Gram 'em by the p****” situation where some GOP folks stood by him while others decide to pull back their endorsements. I really don’t trust the GOP to be able to do much about him unless he screws up royally and pisses everybody off. I just hope he does not throw N-bombs at someone before that happens because then our planet is screwed.
Impeachment is more of a political prosecution than a legal one. Thus, Trump’s sins would have to be egregious to the extent that even his fellow Republicans rebuke him in significant numbers. He would already enter the White House having caused significant friction with members who currently identify as republican, but the House would appear to be a friendlier environment for Trump than the Senate. Remember that House members vote every two years.
Trump would have to do something that would threaten his support across party lines. It would have to be a major decision and more likely a series of decisions with major, major consequences. What might that look like?
Let’s say he decided to abuse executive offices and overtly-politicize the Department of Justice and the FBI to go after political enemies. The press might start raising a ruckus over that one, true enough. But the reality is, as we have clearly seen, a lot of voters are knowingly voting for an unabashed authoritarian figure. A lot of people – tens of millions of people – are supporting blatantly undemocratic ideas. Supposing Trump targets and deliberately purges agency officials, bureaucrats, civil servants hired during previous administrations, the sad truth is many, many people would support it - even cheer him on. Again, we’re assuming Trump is victorious - at the moment it would appear that he’s not. But if he is, it would almost naturally coincide with a surge in popular support, which his affiliates in the House would have no choice but to reckon with. But my point is, as blatantly criminal and unconstitutional as these domestic acts might be, I don’t know if he would necessarily be impeached for them. Worse, this kind of behavior might intimidate everyone to the point where they are afraid to speak out against him. When you have that set of dynamics, you are reaching the tipping point at which democracy is on her deathbed.
If Trump gets impeached, my guess it would be probably for the same reasons Nixon was impeached: unpopular, costly military action. That and/or major financial catastrophe to the point of widespread instability. We would have to hope that occurs before Trump murders American democracy, though.
No research needed. Nixon was removed from office because the country was headed in the wrong direction and thus weren’t willing to overlook his offenses, which would have been overlooked he had enjoyed a stronger economy and loss of international prestige.
First, Nixon was not impeached. Things were headed that way, but the vote had not yet occurred when he resigned. Second, had he been removed it would not have been due to “unpopular, costly military action,” or because “the country was headed in the wrong direction.” Third, his offenses were overlooked by his supporters, for as long as they could maintain it. The release of the tape in which Nixon approved plans to block the investigation was the last straw, following which his support collapsed. He would have been impeached and convicted for his crimes, and for no other reason.
Really, you shouldn’t need me to tell you this. It’s all history.
The only problem is that impeaching Trump makes Mike Pence President, I’m not sure that’s really any better. Anyway it’s moot because Trump is going to lose and lose big time.
I don’t like Pence. Didn’t like him as governor of the state where I live (albeit, liked the previous governor less), wouldn’t like him as VP, wouldn’t like him as president; however, if I had to choose between Trump and Pence, and those were my only two choices, I’d not hesitate to choose Pence.
Nixon resigned to avoid being forced out of office following conviction, because he would have lost his pension and a lot of other benefits. He got to keep them all by resigning. I was a pretty little kid, but it was the only thing on TV, so you couldn’t help being aware of it, and my mother is very good at explaining thing so that a little kid can understand.
As noted, he wasn’t removed from office-- he resigned. He was involved in a crime, and there is no evidence that would have been overlooked. Also, we were out of Vietnam (1973) by the time this all played out (1974). He almost certainly would have been impeached, but he resigned before that happened. Say what you will about Nixon, but he did get us out of Vietnam.
If you have evidence to the contrary, please present it.
Say what you will about Jefferson Davis, he ended the Civil War! Say what you will about Custer, he avoided the massacre of hundreds of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors!