The president will not be impeached so easily

Since the first few weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency, the possibility of his impeachment has been thrown around with an almost irresponsible regard. The president as it stands holds some of the lowest approval ratings of any former president at this point their presidency. Last week, only throwing fuel on the fire, many were quick to attack the president over his hesitation to disavow “alt-right” conservative groups that were at the center of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia that shook the community the country and the world. The president was quick to note that the violence was between Neo-Nazis and the far-left group ANTIFA who many on the right blamed for the chaos. As the president said there was violence from “many sides”. This non-commitment from the president isn’t unusual as he has been sidestepping calls to disavow the alt-right since he first announced his candidacy. In my opinion violence begets violence and thus both sides should face some blame. However, his inability to recognize the difference between anarchists that disrupt modern day fascism and racists who promote symbols of hate under a guise of protecting free speech worries many across the country, myself included.

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While several democratic representatives have thrown around the word impeachment, the steps needed to bring this to reality prove a tough road ahead for any representatives who try. As it stands president Trump’s party holds majorities in both the House and Senate and few party members will look to rattle the cage with their midterm elections coming in the near future as they hope to secure the base of Trump’s election victory.

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Most Americans have some understanding of what an impeachment is and the fact that it is the only means for the POTUS to be removed from office as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Some of us have been unfortunate enough to experienced one if not two in our lifetimes. However, prior to president Clinton and president Nixon the American people had very little experience with the impeachment process. In our country’s almost 250 years of in and of the forty-five individuals who have held the office only three have ever faced removal, and only two have been through the entire process.

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I have always tried to make clear my view of our current administration in my OpEds, while simultaneously attempting to provide an objective look at his first term in office in my other articles. While leftists will spend all their time banging the impeachment drums over their distaste for the president's demeanor, or his stances on politically turbulent issues, they are beating the drums with spiked baseball bats.

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In the articles that outline the impeachment process the only means of leveling charges against the president lie within the crimes of “bribery, treason, or other high-crimes or misdemeanors.” Loosely translated, there are measures of removing the president, but it is up to House to investigate and prove that the president has committed such crimes. Secondly it’s important to mention that none of these cases grant grounds for the people to remove the president over their distaste for his values. Campaigns are when the people are supposed to realize a candidate’s stances and decide if their suitable for office. We’re well past November 7, 2016. These measures set in place by the founders are in recognition of how dangerous it would be if anytime the opinions of some majority changed the president would be swiftly removed from office.

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Coming back to the few cases in which the president has faced impeachment, one glaring example was that of Andrew Jonson. President Jonson assumed office shortly after the assassination of president Lincoln. Jonson faced a large opposition force as the person in charge of the country and the spearhead of the Republican party. The party with help of former president Lincoln had abolished slavery and in the post war years were looking to belittle the amount of influence former Confederate party members had in the United States government. Congress looking to dampen the impact Jonson would have in this process leveled impeachment charges against him, however when the vote reached the Senate - the body with authority to actually charge the president criminally - they voted not to impeach citing that the charges were simply a political disagreement and in no way merited an impeachment.

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This is the problem we currently face. Throughout the past eight plus months of the Trump administration the whirlwind of news coming out of the administration and the white house has left many of us dazed and confused. It’s easy to identify this on campus as many of my fellow classmates are simply “tired” of hearing about the president and his quarrels. Even still it seems more of us now hold harsher contempt against the fake news media than ever before. With the special prosecutor Muller still investigating connections between Trump’s campaign team and the Russian government there is still a high possibility that we may witness Muller recommend the president’s impeachment. However, this would be the first in many steps including a united democratic party and a large percentage of the republican party having to step out against their president.