# Impeach Trump. Now. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 20, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327 "2017-02-20T16:47:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/241 "2017-05-15T20:26:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Remember what the definition of “high crimes and misdemeanors” is? > Anything Congress wants it to be, period. You can’t say “This doesn’t count” or “That isn’t enough evident for that” under that definition. > BTW, I am asking you the same question that **Shodan** refuses to answer: What specifically _would_ count as “high crimes and misdemeanors” in your opinion? I could adopt your standard. Anything Congress wants it to be! Then the conversation is very simple: there isn’t enough evidence for impeachment. We know this because Congress has not yet acted. Game over. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/242 "2017-05-15T20:28:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So any wrong-doing at all qualifies? Thank you for answering my question as to what would constitute sufficient “high crimes and misdemeanors” in your book. If you’ll notice, I didn’t use the word “any”. Jaywalking isn’t an impeachable offense, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/243 "2017-05-15T20:30:18Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Further let’s assume that Congress will impeach just like a grand jury indicts: only on a showing of probable cause. > > Neither of those are literal limits on Congress, but I argue that they are practical, real-life limits that Congress in real life will observe. But without knowing what those limits are, where that line is drawn, this discussion is permanently stalled, as has been shown in this thread. The Republicans in Congress, like some posters in this thread, are hiding the goalposts. Why bother discussing whether there is enough evidence to show that a particular thing happened unless Republicans concede beforehand that that particular event counts as an “high crime and misdemeanor”. This is beginning to look a lot like a snark hunt to me. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/244 "2017-05-15T20:31:36Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > Firing the lead investigator _because he’s investigating your actions_ is enough to warrant impeachment, IMHO. Comey lied to Congress. That is sufficient grounds for firing. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/245 "2017-05-15T20:31:49Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > If you’ll notice, I didn’t use the word “any”. > > Jaywalking isn’t an impeachable offense, IMO. What. The. Fuck. IS. Then? Edited to add: Would you please either plant those goalposts where everyone can see them, or get off the field? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/246 "2017-05-15T20:32:39Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Firing the investigator is obstruction of justice. > > Obstruction of justice is grounds for impeachment. > > Whether or not the GOP chooses to impeach is quite another matter. Ftr, Comey was an administrator, not an investigator. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/247 "2017-05-15T20:36:14Z")
End poverty. Now. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/248 "2017-05-15T20:37:20Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Comey lied to Congress. That is sufficient grounds for firing. Link > **[Daily Kos](https://www.dailykos.com)** > > Daily Kos is a progressive news site that fights for democracy by giving our audience information and resources to win elections and impact government. Our coverage is assiduously factual, ethical, and unapologetically liberal. We amplify what we... ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/249 "2017-05-15T20:41:27Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What. > The. > Fuck. > IS. > Then? An actual crime. > [@](#): > > Edited to add: Would you please either plant those goalposts where everyone can see them, or get off the field? No. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/250 "2017-05-15T20:44:35Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Link > > [Daily Kos](http://m.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/9/1660355/-James-Comey-lied-under-oath-will-congress-do-something) Like they say, it’s not news until “lowt” at DailyKos reports it. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/251 "2017-05-15T20:45:44Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Like they say, it’s not news until “lowt” at DailyKos reports it. I just picked the first one. Feel free to read one of the other articles. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/252 "2017-05-15T20:47:24Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What. > The. > Fuck. > IS. > Then? Whatever. Fucking. Congress. Thinks. It. Is. I. Thought. You. Had. Grasped. That. Regards. Shodan. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/253 "2017-05-15T20:47:42Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > But without knowing what those limits are, where that line is drawn, this discussion is permanently stalled, as has been shown in this thread. The Republicans in Congress, like some posters in this thread, are hiding the goalposts. Why bother discussing whether there is enough evidence to show that a particular thing happened unless Republicans concede beforehand that that particular event counts as an “high crime and misdemeanor”. This is beginning to look a lot like a snark hunt to me. No. I am suggesting what I believe to be the actual real-world limits: for the purposes of this discussion, Congress will only be motivated by a “high crime and misdemeanor” that is actually a violation of the federal criminal code, and Congress will impeach just like a grand jury indicts, only on a showing of probable cause. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/254 "2017-05-15T20:48:02Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > An actual crime. Jaywalking? Shoplifting? Spitting on the sidewalk? Those are actual crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/255 "2017-05-15T20:48:37Z")
So, a step away from the theoretical stuff for a moment - if someone in Congress were to bring a motion of impeachment, who would it likely be? Someone in the House, specifically. Any short list of people who would or likely could get this chain of events started? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/256 "2017-05-15T20:50:03Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Do you mean generically, or as a matter of federal criminal law? I mean by precedent: [High crimes and misdemeanors - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_crimes_and_misdemeanors) ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/257 "2017-05-15T20:52:05Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Jaywalking? > Shoplifting? > Spitting on the sidewalk? > Those are actual crimes. Perjury? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/258 "2017-05-15T20:52:55Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Jaywalking? > Shoplifting? > Spitting on the sidewalk? > Those are actual crimes. As **Bricker** said, there are practical considerations. No Congress is going to impeach a President for spitting on the sidewalk, to use your own example. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/259 "2017-05-15T20:54:13Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Whatever. > Fucking. > Congress. > Thinks. > It. > Is. > > I. > Thought. > You. > Had. > Grasped. > That. > > Regards. > Shodan. Sorry, bucky-You can’t claim that while also claiming that particular crimes pointed out to you don’t count. Besides, I specifically asked for _your_ opinion as to what would count as an impeachable “high crime and misdemeanor”, not Congress’s…but since you want to continue playing “Noooo, _that_ ain’t it either”, I’'ll just assume that you won’t answer the question and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327/260 "2017-05-15T20:55:49Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > As **Bricker** said, there are practical considerations. No Congress is going to impeach a President for spitting on the sidewalk, to use your own example. And you’ve got no opinions on what it might take, right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-trump-now/780327.md?page=14)