Impeachment Seems Reasonable, But Unrealistic

Donald Trump should be impeached and removed from office. It won’t happen, but it should.

Everything Michael Cohen said in court, and much of what his lawyer Lanny Davis has told the media suggests that Cohen committed campaign finance violations at the direction of then-candidate Trump. These were payments made to silence alleged mistresses of Trump, directly affecting the campaign by keeping these stories out of the press.

Russian hacking doesn’t enter the Cohen plea deal. Instead, Cohen revealed Trump to be everything many of us considered Bill and Hillary Clinton to be. He abused women through his power (like Bill Clinton) and tried to discourage press coverage (like Hillary in the 1990s). Trump did something outright illegal, though, and there’s plenty of evidence: he paid for silence out of campaign funds.

I dislike Bill Clinton as a womanizer, something the #MeToo movement has addressed and something the Democratic Party must address head-on in the future. I believe the long list of Clinton accusers.

I also believe Trump’s accusers and alleged mistresses. The man has said things, on tape, that defy any defense.

A Republican Congress impeached Bill Clinton, and a Republican Congress should impeach Donald Trump.

Recent Russian hacking revelations only add to the need to remove Trump from office.

The Russian interference in our elections is not new, and I didn’t think much of collusion claims because even the Russians didn’t imagine Trump would win. Yet, we now have new evidence of Russian hacking and meddling that Trump willfully ignores.

Trump should be standing in the Rose Garden, next to the head of every security agency and the powerful Internet companies that can help reduce hostile hacking effectiveness. Trump should be acting presidential, leading the effort to stop Russian aggression. Trump’s reaction to the proven Russian hacking and alleged hacking by Iran, China, and North Korea, all targeting our political system in various ways, defies explanation. Either Trump honestly doesn’t believe the experts or he does and he is treasonous.

If Trump cannot admit Russian hacking because it would somehow delegitimize his election, that’s unacceptable. That inability to face reality makes him unqualified to serve as president. But, if he’s actually willing to accept Russian support for his political fortunes, that’s outright treasonous.

The 25th Amendment clearly states:

Section 4.
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

How can any reasonable person claim Trump is able to discharge his powers and duties properly and as expected? Trump is unable to execute the most basic duty of a president: to protect and defend the nation.

If Pres. Trump has engaged in illegal activities, that should likewise trigger the “high crimes and misdemeanors” of Section 4 of Article 2 of the Constitution:

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.

If Bill Clinton could be impeached for lying about an affair to federal investigators, Donald Trump certainly can and should be removed for breaking campaign finance laws.

Yes, impeaching Trump could harm the Republican Party with its base, but the nation is more important than any political careers that might end. Sadly, the Republicans are, so far, unwilling to do what is right. His cabinet won’t turn on him and House leadership has demonstrated they are afraid of their primary voters.

Though I disagree with Democrats on much, the best thing that could happen right now is for Democrats to capture the House in 2018. I hope they do not take the Senate, but I hope that the margin is close enough that some Republicans will develop spines and support impeachment.