Donald Trump faces impeachment as Nancy Pelosi confirms charges
The announcement all but confirms Trump will be impeached, but he is unlikely to be removed from office
Donald Trump is almost certain to become the third president in US history to be impeached, following yesterday’s confirmation that Democrats will begin drafting formal charges.
Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House, confirmed yesterday that her party would draft articles of impeachment, forging ahead with a rapid timetable that could bring a vote before Christmas to charge him with high crimes and misdemeanors.
To highlight the Democrat’s central argument that this is not a partisan endeavour, she evoked the country’s constitutional forefathers.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“The president leaves us no choice but to act,” Pelosi said. “Sadly, but with confidence and humility, with allegiance to our founders and a heart full of love for America, today I am asking our chairman to proceed with articles of impeachment.”
Pelosi anchored her brief address - which lasted just six minutes - in the constitution, referring to the founders’ fears of a president overstepping his power. “If we allow a president to be above the law, we do so surely at the peril of our Republic,” she said. “In America, nobody is above the law.”
“His wrongdoing strikes at the very heart of our Constitution. Our democracy is what is at stake. The president leaves us no choice but to act because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit.”
The House of Representatives is now expected to vote for impeachment, meaning the president will face a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, which is not expected to remove him from office.
In fact, Republican senators could use the media spotlight to call witnesses of their own, perhaps in an attempt to undermine the potential candidacy of Joe Biden by focusing on his son’s dealings in Ukraine.
However, the Senate does not have the power to end the impeachment process entirely. If the president is reelected, and the Senate comes under Democratic control, the impeachment process could be resurrected years from now.
Trump said yesterday he is “not at all” worried that impeachment could hurt his legacy as president. “It’s a hoax. It’s a hoax. It’s a big, fat hoax,” he said.
To drive the narrative, Trump has constructed an “anti-impeachment talking-point factory built for an impeachment battle playing out in a frenetic news cycle that burns through half a dozen fresh revelations a day,” reports The Washington Post. “The environment favours Trump’s approach of repeating a single catchphrase endlessly until it sinks.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For more political analysis - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Get your first six issues free–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
William Gritten is a London-born, New York-based strategist and writer focusing on politics and international affairs.
-
'Making a police state out of the liberal university'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
8 looming climate tipping points that imperil our planet
The Explainer New reports detail the thresholds we may be close to crossing
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Try 6 free issues of The Week Junior
Spark your child's curiosity with The Week Junior - the award-winning current affairs magazine for 8-14s.
By The Week Published
-
'Can we — the people who have bought so much already — really keep buying more?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'Presidential debates are more performance art than actual ways to inform'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Trump, DeSantis meet for first time since primary
Speed Read The former president and the Florida governor have seemingly mended their rivalry
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Justices set to punt on Trump immunity case
Speed Read Conservative justices signaled support for Trump's protection from criminal charges
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Biden is smart to keep the border-security pressure on'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Arizona grand jury indicts 18 in Trump fake elector plot
Speed Read The state charged Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies in 2020 election interference case
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Voters know Biden and Trump all too well'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Who will win the 2024 presidential election?
In Depth Election year is here. Who are pollsters and experts predicting to win the White House?
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published