# Moderation in "So What do we impeach him for" **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [April 12, 2026, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-so-what-do-we-impeach-him-for/1029218 "2026-04-12T13:55:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-so-what-do-we-impeach-him-for/1029218/1 "2026-04-12T13:55:53Z")
In this thread, [So what do we impeach him for?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-we-impeach-him-for/1028886/), ParallelLines moderated the discussion. > Blockquote > [@So what do we impeach him for?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-we-impeach-him-for/1028886/32): > > **Moderating:** > > Just a reminder, as I’ve been speaking with the OP, that this is about what Trump can and should be impeached for. Cracks about how he should be _impeached_ for being stupid or just “evil” probably belong in the Pit. So specifics please (though Treason is both a crime and a description, so it’s fine), and let’s keep the comparisons to Nixon at a minimum, until such a time that we have any evidence that Trump is considering such a scenario. > > Just a general note to the _thread_, so we are more clear going forward. I really appreciate the moderation around here and I generally think you do a great job, so please take this as the most gentle criticism of moderation imaginable. I think you limited the discussion of reasons for impeachment too much because grounds for impeachment could be anything in then judgment of the House and Senate. Being evil, consorting with aliens, waiting too long at a stoplight. Let people raise any reason or ground they choose. They are no more or less valid than any other reason. I would have let people vent. Impeachment proceedings are nothing more than Congress venting. I would have given posters the same flexibility here. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-so-what-do-we-impeach-him-for/1029218/2 "2026-04-12T16:20:08Z")
I am also unsure how comparisons to Nixon are also off-topic, since he serves as a precedent where members of his own party would have crossed party lines to vote to impeach/convict. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-so-what-do-we-impeach-him-for/1029218/3 "2026-04-12T20:39:31Z")
First, I normally try to respond earlier, but was with the in-laws all morning and early afternoon. And I thank you guys for the polite tone and honest inquiry. So, going back to the moderation in question, it’s more a thing of the time at the thread and the context of what was going on. So for the first, yes, _technically_ our Legislative Branches can impeach for whatever they consider appropriate High Crimes. But the OP is in the context of an actual real world situation, where Democrats have a majority in both the House and the Senate - so keeping to real actionable activities is on topic - quoting from the OP of that thread. > He was impeached for his extortion of Zelinskyy. He was impeached for the insurrection he caused. Can we do that again? Or are there rules where you can’t impeach for the same thing twice? I mean the Senate just did not convict. > > Maybe the illegal tariffs? His creation of his own ICE army? Stolen documents? The mis-handling of the Epstein files? The destruction of the East Wing? The ridiculous ballroom? These are specific actions take by Trump. Even if we’re talking about more general complaints about possible stupidity or senility, the OP has a comment there as well: > He is a bumbling fool, but that’s more 25th territory. And (an oft mentioned issue) general complaints about Trump’s generic (as opposed to specific) evil, stupidity, and other rants belong in the Pit. As mentioned in my moderation quoted above, I exchanged several DM’s with the OP, because there were already comments about “everything” and the kitchen sink approach, and we had just had a lovey (but off topic) crack with the Hanover Fisk segment from the Movie Heavy Metal. So taking into account the examples of the OP, and the DMs in the follow up, I made a general note to keep rants to the pit, and try to keep to specific examples, which is pretty much the norm for a P&E thread. As for Nixon @John_DiFool - note I didn’t ban the topic, I said it should be kept to a minimum because it’s more an apples-to-oranges comparison based on the massive changes to the political climate between the era. Trump gives zero evidence of every admitting to guilt and with him beating two prior impeachments for very serious crimes, I don’t think that Nixon’s actions are a good comparison. I didn’t want us to go down a side track of arguing severity of crimes, or (as was going on in the thread already) how difficult it would be to get agreement - especially as the OP specifies a hypothetical that the majority is _there_ and in agreement. Again - that was a judgement call, and I tried to keep the option open if we had any evidence that it was heading towards a parallel. So, TL:DR, I and the OP wanted to keep it more specific to the hypothetical in the OP, I as a P&E poster wanted to avoid Pit-Like posts (such as the video I mentioned above), and I wanted the focus to be on Trump rather than what Nixon did in a very different political climate. If posters really want to do a deep comparison between Nixon and Trump, I think a new thread would be better, but I’m willing to relax the request (again, it was not a ban) to minimize the Nixon talk if it’s a big concern. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-so-what-do-we-impeach-him-for/1029218/4 "2026-04-12T20:45:31Z")
Thanks for the response. I still disagree but at least I understand. And I do sincerely appreciate your moderation. Please carry on. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-so-what-do-we-impeach-him-for/1029218/5 "2026-04-12T21:25:18Z")
You’re welcome, and I was happy to explain my reasoning. Again, with the thread less Pit-like these days, if there are specific points you think are some good exceptions, feel free to PM me and I’ll give it a good faith review.