The Case For Impeaching Trump

Forget about Russia. A member of the House committee that voted to impeach Richard Nixon argues there’s plenty more for Congress to probe

- Elizabeth Holtzman

SHOULD WE BE CONSIDERING THE IMPEACHMENT of President Donald Trump?

Many tremble at the idea, fearing how Trump’s supporters will react to an impeachment inquiry, worrying that it will only further polarize an already deeply divided nation or that there will not be enough votes in the Senate to convict him even if the House of Representatives votes to impeach.

I’m not afraid. As a junior congresswoman, the youngest ever elected at that time, I served on the House Judiciary Committee that voted to impeach President Richard Nixon for the high crimes and misdemeanors he commit ted in connection with the Watergate cover-up and other matters.

To evaluate the case against Trump fairly, we need to set aside his unremitting attacks on the environment, on our close allies, on almost every program that President Barack Obama put into effect (including the Affordable Care Act) and any disagreements we have over policy, as well as any personal animus.

With Trump again decrying special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation as a “phony witch hunt,” we’ll even leave Russia off the table. Potential collusion aside, there are still plenty of impeachable offenses. Two of the strongest are Trump’s refusal to separate himself from his business interests (a potential violation of the bribery ban and the Constitution’s emoluments clause) and his approval of a “family separation” immigration policy (a potential abuse of power).

BRIBERY

Bribery strikes at the heart of democracy and seriously endangers the country. It is one of the constitutionally specified grounds for impeachment for good reason, as a president who is swayed by bribes is no longer acting in the best interests of the country and its people.