By Erika Eichelberger News Reporter
The impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump should without a doubt continue. Based on the information released to the public, there is a viable reason to be concerned about a possible conflict of interest regarding the president’s conduct.
To be impeached, a president or other official ought to have committed treason, bribery, or other “high crimes and misdemeanors.” These high crimes and misdemeanors can refer to a lack of proper management within the federal government or appropriating governmental funds or services for personal gain. However, there should be enough evidence and reason to justify the impeachment process.
Because portions of the transcripts of the president’s call with the Ukrainian president have been released, and because there is concern over witness tampering by government officials such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the impeachment process should continue. As of this moment, the information presented to the public seems to be enough for an impeachment inquiry.
Despite this, I don’t believe that the president deserves impeachment. Those who support impeachment argue that he is withholding funds meant for Ukraine to push the Ukrainian government to investigate a Democratic rival Joe Biden for political gain. Those who oppose impeachment argue that the process is merely political posturing. Without all the details, we do not know the nature of his phone call to the Ukrainian president. For all we know, there is a legitimate concern surrounding Biden to which the public is not privy. Impeachment should come down to the facts of the case, not the opposition’s political gain.
It is also unclear as to whether or not the president would be convicted. It would depend on whether or not Republican senators choose to vote against their party leader. It is likely that Trump will be impeached because the Democrats control the House of Representatives, but will not be convicted because the Republicans hold a majority in the Senate. With this hypothetical situation happening, Trump’s chances of being re-elected would practically be ruined since a party would not want to support an impeached candidate.
The debate is complex with party divides and political biases interfering with the process. People’s motives, intentions, and true concerns are obscured as the inquiry progresses. As it stands now, there are grounds for an impeachment inquiry, but I don’t think President Trump should be impeached unless there is more solid evidence condemning his intentions.
Part 2 HERE