During the creation of the Constitution, there were many influential people in America who were skeptical of an executive with too much power vested in him. This line of thought makes sense considering the Americans had just fought a war to remove themselves from the yoke of a tyrannical ruler who had a lack of respect for their natural rights. As a result, the Founders included a provision in the Constitution to hold the president and other executive branch officials accountable. Article 2, Section 4 says that “the President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Unfortunately, this process has been hijacked by partisan forces who wish to use impeachment for political gain rather than a check on executive power.
The problem with the Democrats’ talk to impeach the president is the fact that they have been proposing it since almost immediately after Trump’s election and inauguration. Rather than waiting for facts to come out which show an impeachable offense by the president, they are constantly searching for something and always launching accusations, despite what reports might say.
First it was the accusation that the Russians worked with Trump to win the 2016 election. However, the Mueller Report did not appear to contain any serious impeachable offence committed by the president. Now the Democrats are basing their argument for impeachment upon reports about a phone conversation with the Ukrainian president. However, the transcript does not appear to include any smoking gun evidence. It is still too early for either side to make any solid conclusions, but this just means that everyone should wait until the facts are clear before suggesting any further action.
Democrats, especially those running for the 2020 presidency, seem to be using impeachment as a way to advance their electoral prospects. However, there is one prominent Democrat who has broken ranks with the party on the issue.
“I think that impeachment would be terribly divisive for our already very divided country,” said Democratic congresswoman and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard in an interview with CNN. She is absolutely correct.
Rather than making everything about impeachment, Congress should focus on real issues, such as addressing the national debt. If partisan forces continue to use impeachment as a political tool, the political discourse in the U.S. will only continue to deteriorate further, and Americans will just become further fed up with the political system.
When the Constitution was passed, the United States was viewed as a model for the world. Rather than falling into political instability, Americans should strive to show the world that the American way is still the model for a successful and stable political system. This means only pursuing impeachment when the facts show the president is not fit for office. As of now, that doesn’t apply to President Trump.
