# So, how do we deal with retaliation if impeached? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 22, 2019, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903 "2019-04-22T20:38:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/21 "2019-04-22T22:26:45Z")
Remember that giant wave of violence by Bill Clinton’s opponents that ran through the country after he was acquitted? How about the crowds of racist whites who attacked black people the night Obama was elected? The student radicals that burned down hundreds of university buildings after Nixon defeated George McGovern in 1972? Yeah, I don’t remember that, either. ---
**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:** [April 22, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/22 "2019-04-22T22:29:45Z")
If Trumpers \*\*\*were \*\*\*to take revenge, it would logically be against the 67 (or more) Senators who voted to remove Trump from office, along with all the House reps who voted for impeachment. It wouldn’t make sense for them to go after the 100+ million liberals in the nation - the OP seems to be worried about his/her personal safety, which wouldn’t make too much sense. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/23 "2019-04-22T22:38:50Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Remember… My defense, things have gotten a lot more uncivil and contentious. I pictured Charlottesville. All the threats certain people in government have been getting. Saw one guy talk about a coup. Shrugs. I apologize… I guess. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/24 "2019-04-22T22:40:17Z")
I’m not at all worried about my safety. I’m in a safe place. I’m just worried I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/25 "2019-04-22T22:40:44Z")
I know that if the Trumpists decided to riot/rebel/declare war, my response would be to 1) not know about it until I read about it on the Dope the next day, and 2) not have been effected by it in the slightest. There might be protests that turn violent and sporadic terrorist attacks, but none of those are going to get anywhere near me. And not because I live in a place where conservatives feel comfortable in their numerical superiority (though I do), but because I don’t go places where riots or terrorist acts would occur. My workplace, apartment complex, and local Walmart will survive the chaos unscathed. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/26 "2019-04-22T22:43:52Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > So you’re expecting a good old fashioned sitzkrieg. No, I don’t expect any sort of krieg, sitting or otherwise. I don’t know what the German for ‘whining tantrum’ is, but that’s what I mainly expect. I did find out that the Germans have apparently adopted ‘shit storm’ into their language, as I thought that’s what you were saying at first (obviously, German isn’t one of the languages I know :p), so I got that out of this thread at a minimum. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/27 "2019-04-22T23:09:57Z")
I expect that some of the Trump supporters might accidentally shoot themselves in the process of protesting the impeachment (because of course they’ll do so while open-carrying), and a handful of them might engage in deliberate violence of a sort which is very easily suppressed by the police, but they don’t have the guts for actual armed rebellion. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/28 "2019-04-23T12:27:18Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > If Trumpers \*\*\*were \*\*\*to take revenge, it would logically be against the 67 (or more) Senators who voted to remove Trump from office, along with all the House reps who voted for impeachment. It wouldn’t make sense for them to go after the 100+ million liberals in the nation - the OP seems to be worried about his/her personal safety, which wouldn’t make too much sense. Once again, we come up with the difference between \*impeachment \*and _conviction_. The House votes to impeach, the Senate tries the President and, if convicted, the President is removed from office. Clinton (and Andrew Johnson) were impeached, but not removed from office. The 67 Senators have nothing to do with impeachment, only with the trial. In terms of retaliation, the most likely form is when the next Democratic president is elected - he or she will likely be the target of an impeachment attempt (whether successful or not) no matter what they may or may not have done. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/29 "2019-04-23T13:17:52Z")
> [@XT](#): > > I don’t know what the German for ‘whining tantrum’ is, but that’s what I mainly expect. I do believe “sitzkreig” (aka: “Bore War”) fits. It was the term used by Hitler himself to define Britain’s reaction to his invasion of Poland in September 1939. GB had been wagging its finger at Hitler for a number of other expansion projects and warned him invading Poland would be too much. He did it, and GB wagged its finger even more ferociously at him, declared war on Germany, and started drawing up battle plans, putting the kettle on, inviting the neighbors over, and feeding the cat… Turned out, making a serious play for France in May 1940 was where it became ‘too much’ and the shoosting began in earnest. But yeah, should Trump be impeached there will be grumbles, but no shoosting of consequence. There’ll be lots of bluster and big talk and generalisms, but nobody (apart from psychos who are just as likely to lose their shit if the wrong GOT character gets killed) will have the intestinal fortitude to take meaningful action to back it up. Cowards are cowardly. The real threat of impeaching trump is the entrenched morons on both sides will become more entrenched and say ever more moronic and hurtful things to each other. The divide will widen and it’ll be even harder to get any governing done. So to answer the OP: take a keen interest in your neighborhood and local politics, you might have a chance at steering that. But the federal level will be increasingly hostile to anyone who is not already a ruthless narcissist. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/30 "2019-04-23T14:11:20Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > What are we going to do about the people who are upset that Trump gets impeached and might take to the streets? Oh, you Telling me the things you’re gonna do for me Yeah, na I ain’t blind and I don’t like what I think I see (takin’ it to the streets) Takin’ it to the streets (takin’ it to the streets)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/31 "2019-04-23T14:55:52Z")
Nixon was forced to resign from office to avoid impeachment. I was in school and don’t recall any large protests. I’m sure there were disappointed Nixon supporters throughout the country. They weren’t upset enough to break the law and risk jail. Ford’s pardon of Nixon angered the country a lot more. But, I don’t recall any mob violence. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/32 "2019-04-23T15:00:45Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > They’re the ones with the guns. > > There are a lot of extremists out there you know? The military and the police have better guns. After the extremists try going up against them, there would be a lot fewer extremists to worry about. ---
**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:** [April 23, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/33 "2019-04-23T15:02:53Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Once again, we come up with the difference between \*impeachment \*and _conviction_. The House votes to impeach, the Senate tries the President and, if convicted, the President is removed from office. Clinton (and Andrew Johnson) were impeached, but not removed from office. The 67 Senators have nothing to do with impeachment, only with the trial. Yes, I took that into account in my post. The impeachment and conviction are separate things. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/34 "2019-04-23T19:15:06Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Once again, we come up with the difference between \*impeachment \*and _conviction_. The House votes to impeach, the Senate tries the President and, if convicted, the President is removed from office. Clinton (and Andrew Johnson) were impeached, but not removed from office. The 67 Senators have nothing to do with impeachment, only with the trial. Exactly. & with a Republican majority in the Senate, I don’t think it will go far unless they find something new (remember, there are still a number of ongoing investigations that were farmed out to ‘regular’ US Attorneys). All impeachment will do is get us more, & louder cries of “Witch Hunt”. Short of conviction &/or removal, his supporters won’t retaliate en masse. I think Nancy Pelosi thinks the same, which is why she’s shying away from it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/35 "2019-04-23T19:23:07Z")
Regarding the question of impeaching Donald Trump, [this op-ed](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/22/opinion/theres-a-bigger-prize-than-impeachment.html) from yesterday’s New York Times suggests _not_ impeaching him, because the longer he’s in office, the more damage is done to the Republican Party. It’s a novel idea, except his presence in the White House also serves to damage the country as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/36 "2019-04-23T19:37:34Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > It’s a novel idea, except his presence in the White House also serves to damage the country as a whole. Remember in Animal House what a shithole the Delta house was in any given moment? It was always better than it would have been if it had burned down. I’m choosing to believe nobody will let The Don actually burn us to the ground even though they turn a blind eye to his punching holes in the walls and leaving his vomit to dry on the carpet. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/37 "2019-04-23T21:05:33Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Regarding the question of impeaching Donald Trump, [this op-ed](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/22/opinion/theres-a-bigger-prize-than-impeachment.html) from yesterday’s New York Times suggests _not_ impeaching him, because the longer he’s in office, the more damage is done to the Republican Party. It’s a novel idea, except his presence in the White House also serves to damage the country as a whole. It’s not even a novel idea, the same was said about Bush II; instead of the Republicans collapsing, we got Trump instead. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/38 "2019-04-23T21:11:10Z")
I don’t remember that being said about George W Bush, especially about impeaching him. I don’t remember impeachment ever coming up with regard to him. And GWB was mainstream Republicanism compared to Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/39 "2019-04-24T01:28:29Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Regarding the question of impeaching Donald Trump, [this op-ed](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/22/opinion/theres-a-bigger-prize-than-impeachment.html) from yesterday’s New York Times suggests _not_ impeaching him, because the longer he’s in office, the more damage is done to the Republican Party. It’s a novel idea, except his presence in the White House also serves to damage the country as a whole. I disagree with this idea. First, it’s not just the Republican Party’s reputation that’s being harmed by Trump. The United States is also being harmed by him and I want that to stop. Second, there’s little reason to assume Trump is doing any real harm to the Republican Party’s reputation. They’ve always been able to shake off the consequences for their bad decisions. Third, we need to draw a line in American politics. We need to demonstrate that we still have some standards and that if you’re a bad enough President, you’ll lose the job. Trump should be impeached and removed from office to serve as a warning for future bad Presidents. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903/40 "2019-04-24T02:24:45Z")
I’d say it’s hard to organize a protest of Russian paid-to-post losers; the fat, aging guys who shout online aren’t going to march out in the streets; walking isn’t their thing and some of their oxygen equipment is _heavy_. On a local note, I think I’m at least safe in Utah; it’s been at least a hundred years since they massacred people they didn’t agree w/ in order to protect a mendacious maniac. Nowadays they won’t leave their home theatres to walk their kids to school, it’s ludicrous to think they’ll fill the streets in a demonstration that isn’t religiously beneficial. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-we-deal-with-retaliation-if-impeached/832903.md?page=3)