Donald John Trump is forcing me to rethink my resistance to the notion that he needs to be impeached.
I’m allowed to change my mind, yes? Hey, politicians do it all the time. Bloggers are allowed to reconsider their own statements.
I do remain dubious — although decreasingly so — about whether an impeachment is going to result in the president’s removal from office. The House of Representatives now has enough votes among Democratic members who favor impeaching him.
Then what? The issue goes to the Senate, which must have a trial. Conviction requires two-thirds of senators to agree that the president is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. Republicans comprise the majority in the Senate; conviction would require about 20 GOP senators to convict, which doesn’t — at this moment — appear likely to occur.
OK, why the change of mind?
Donald Trump clearly has violated his oath of office. He has admitted to soliciting help from Ukraine’s president in his re-election; he also has admitted to asking him for dirt on Joe Biden, a potential opponent in 2020. Those two matters, right there, are grounds for impeachment.
It gets worse. He withheld military aid until Ukraine agreed to “play ball” with him; Ukraine, you see, wants to purchase weaponry it uses against Russian aggressors who invaded the country.
Trump is making it damn near impossible to stem the tide of impeachment that is swelling daily if not hourly. He alleges that his accusers are committing acts of treason. He is growing increasingly combative and irrational. The president’s rage looks to me to be getting the better of him.
I have held out for the notion of letting the 2020 election remove the president from office. I am beginning to believe that we shouldn’t wait for that event to occur.
None of this fills me with joy. It merely fills me with resolve to repair what is damaging our system of government. The damage is being inflicted by the president of the United States.