As the history-making drama of President Trump’s Ukraine scandal continues to unfold, it is clear that an impeachment inquiry is merited. This is no longer a question. However, despite the overwhelming evidence necessitating an investigation, there are some who argue impeachment proceedings should not move forward for political reasons. For anyone who cares about America’s democratic integrity, this is deeply disturbing.
One of the most common excuses I’ve heard (looking at you, David Brooks) is that while impeachment is warranted, it is still inadvisable because it would backfire politically for the left. As a registered Democrat, I am touched by how many conservatives are suddenly so concerned for the party’s political success. But the potential for political fallout is no reason for Congress to abdicate its constitutional responsibilities. The impetus for an impeachment inquiry is much larger than any single individual or election cycle. It is not simply a convenient way to get rid of Trump (although this may be the end result.) Impeachment is a moral imperative.
Moderate conservatives wish to see Trump out of office, but they want him ousted through an election. They would prefer to wait out the clock, and they are willing to ignore and tacitly condone any corruption on the part of the president in the meantime.
You know, because holding a leader accountable for undermining our democracy might be too contentious. Taking bold action to uphold the Constitution might be too aggressive. Impeachment proceedings might be divisive or partisan, and may even cause Trump to ingrain himself further within the Republican Party.
What these commentators fail to acknowledge is that Trumpism has already overrun the mainstream GOP. That ship sailed the moment he clinched the party nomination (and arguably, long before.)
To be clear, I take absolutely no pleasure in the moral collapse of the GOP. I don’t know what can be done to save the Republican Party, but I do know that turning a blind eye to presidential abuses of power is not an acceptable answer.
The congressional oath to support and defend the Constitution is a serious mandate. It is an altar that periodically demands the sacrifice of personal political ambition. Democrats have a moral obligation to support impeachment proceedings, even though it means they may lose their re-election campaigns. Republicans have a moral obligation to support impeachment proceedings, even though it means they may lose their re-election campaigns.
This crisis is so much bigger than keeping or losing a seat in Congress. It is bigger than the 2020 election. It is about whether we as a nation openly, knowingly allow corruption to permeate our government and our elections.
It is disingenuous for don’t-rock-the-boat moderates to claim that waiting until the 2020 election to decide the fate of the nation is the best path forward. Our Electoral College has evolved into a terribly uneven playing field where, nationally, individual votes have unequal impact. Partisan gerrymandering — now explicitly permitted by the Supreme Court — means that, within states, individual votes have unequal impact.
We cannot bank on a future election to rectify corruption happening now, because we are operating within an elections system that does not fairly honor the weight of each citizen’s vote. And even if we were, that would still be no excuse for overlooking Trump’s impeachable behavior.
We cannot decide whether the president should be held accountable for his egregious conduct based on political calculations. If fulfilling constitutional obligations means losing an election, then elections be damned.
Congress is charged with both the power and the responsibility to remedy profound violations of public trust through impeachment. Following through on that charge will be politically difficult on both sides of the aisle — which makes it all the more necessary and all the more commendable.
Lauren Simpson
Lauren Simpson is policy director at Alliance for a Better Utah.