Various Democrat elected officials have called for President Donald J. Trump’s impeachment, since he first took office. Most recently, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan from Wisconsin’s 2nd congressional district called for impeachment inquiry into President Trump.[i] The nation was shocked when Republican congressman Justin Amash from Michigan also called for the president’s impeachment.[ii] While such calls may be popular with left-leaning voters and those on the right who are members of the “never Trump” camp, efforts to impeach President Donald J. Trump may end up helping him get re-elected in 2020.
Donald Trump’s election was historic. Not only did he win the presidency, he did so by winning a state like Wisconsin, which voted (in 2016) for a Republican candidate for president for the first time since 1984. Donald Trump’s candidacy, from the very beginning, resulted in two extremes – those opposing him fiercely, and those throwing all their energy and support behind him to put him in office. His promise to make America great again reached those who were tired of politics, and disappointed in government in general. People found hope in a billionaire businessman who spoke to people in simple language, highlighting our country’s problems, talking about issues people face every day, pointing out our nation’s strengths and opportunities, and identifying threats and how we could neutralize them. He laid out his vision for America’s future. While many, including big names from Hollywood, opposed candidate Trump, the people of America overwhelmingly put their trust in him and elected him to the office of the President of the United States.
Over two years into his presidency, many, including those who oppose him, agree that President Trump is keeping his commitments. Trevor Noah, host of the Daily Show and a critic of the Commander-in-Chief, said that Donald Trump is the first president to “actually deliver” on the promises made during his campaign.[iii] Last year, Fox News contributor and The Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen called President Trump a “paragon of honesty” when it comes to keeping promises.[iv] One may oppose his initiatives or dislike his style of governance, or be in complete lockstep with President Trump’s policies, but one must certainly admit that with President Trump, Americans get exactly what they see. From immigration to healthcare, from national defense to international trade, President Trump’s positions and actions are a pure reflection of the promises he made to the people during the campaign trail.
Efforts to impeach President Trump and remove him from office are likely to hit a brick wall in the United States Senate, where Republicans are a majority. Therefore, impeachment proceedings would not stop Donald Trump from completing his first term in office as he campaigns for re-election. Proponents of impeachment efforts would view it as a way to show their level of opposition to the president and send a political message to their supporters, and urging voters to deliver the U.S. Senate to the Democrats in November 2020. But what might actually happen is that these impeachment efforts would galvanize President Trump’s supporters into action for re-election. Furthermore, the louder the call for impeachment gets, the more pressure there would be on members of Congress to take a formal position on the issue, which would then reveal which Democrats are opposed to impeachment efforts. And, when that happens, the division within the Democrats would become public, perhaps revealing a fractured party. That, along with a very long list of presidential candidates and aggresive competition among them, would almost certainly hand over the 2020 victory to Donald Trump.
Attempts to impeach President Trump, driven by passion and a
strong dislike for the top elected official in the country, may be a great way
for individual Democrat members of Congress to make political statements, but those
would also likely ensure the president’s re-election next year.
[i] https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/mark-pocan-calls-for-impeachment-inquiry-into-donald-trump/article_8e834c9b-7fd0-5b8d-afa7-874791dca634.html
[ii] https://www.bing.com/search?q=justin+amash+impeach+trump&form=EDGEAR&qs=PF&cvid=d931cf0e822f4aaba628ddca9fb33da6&cc=US&setlang=en-US&plvar=0&PC=LCTS
[iii] https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/trevor-noah-trump-is-the-first-president-to-actually-deliver-on-campaign-promises
[iv] https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/marc-thiessen-trump-could-be-the-most-honest-president-in-modern-history