On September 24 2019, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi initiated an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
But what is impeachment? The Constitution of the United States 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.”
In modern history, President Richard Nixon was about to be impeached, and resigned, and Bill Clinton was impeached, but not convicted by the Senate. In this situation, an impeachment inquiry is justified because President Trump is accused of bribery, and if the inquiry reveals that this accusation is true, he should be removed from office.
Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump has been involved in countless controversies. He consistently abuses communities such as women, immigrants, and other minority groups. A tape of his was released in which he said that he could freely sexually assault women without any consequences because of his power.
As these controversies unfolded, a significant amount of people demanded that Trump should be impeached and removed from office.
But, Trump should not be impeached on these grounds. Though his actions are despicable and reckless, they are not “an act of treason, bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors.” Hence, stating that Trump should be impeached for his offensive statements and divisive policies disobeys the intentions of the Constitution.
However, Trump’s latest accusation involves a “quid pro quo” deal with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. The deal demanded that the Ukrainian government start an investigation into 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidate and Former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump stopped sending foreign aid for Ukraine and made sure that the aid would be given only if Ukraine investigated Biden. Trump approaching Zelensky at this time, especially during the election campaign, shows that he is abusing his power for political gain.
Donald Trump is a despicable person. He has been disrespectful towards minorities. But, his supposed abuse of power to benefit himself is an impeachable offense. If the accusation is true, Trump should be “fired” from the White House.