Understanding Impeachment Process and President Trump's Accusations
Impeachment is a formal charge initiated in the House of Representatives, followed by a trial in the Senate. President Trump faced accusations for asking a favor from President Zelensky related to investigating Burisma Corporation and Hunter Biden. The process, historical context, and implications of impeachment are discussed in detail.
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Presentation Transcript
What Is Impeachment? Similar to an indictment or formal charge, except it takes place in the House of Representatives Begins with an impeachment inquiry House Judiciary Committee draws up articles of impeachment House votes as a whole impeachment requires majority vote
Removal Removal in the Senate is similar to a trial Chief Justice presides but has no formal vote or say House assigns to members called managers the responsibility of presenting the charges and the case to the Senate as a whole. President is allowed a defense Senate removal requires 2/3 majority Removal is final without appeal Nixon v. US Supreme Court said impeachment and removal are political decisions, not judicial decisions
What is an impeachable offense Constitution lists treason, bribery, and high crimes and misdemeanors High crimes and misdemeanors language out of English Common law In general refers to an abuse of power or undermining the constitution. Does not merely relate to a legal matter Congress determines what is an impeachable offense Could be just about anything
Earlier Impeachments Andrew Johnson in 1868 refusal to enforce radical reconstruction measures Acquitted. Clinton 1998 Lewinsky affair for lying under oath about an illicit affair Acquitted. Party line vote Nixon would have been impeached in 1974 House had drawn up articles of impeachment but Nixon resigned and was later pardoned by Ford
Background to President Trumps Impeachment President won election using an abrasive personal style of attack and under somewhat questionable circumstances (Russian meddling) Demands for impeachment go back to the very beginning of his term after he fired FBI director Robert Comey Democrats hoped Special Counsel Robert Mueller s report would accuse president of wrongdoing but his findings were equivocal Republican control of House kept impeachment at bay until 2019 Some Democrats demanded impeachment early in 2019 but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi resisted, seeing 2020 election as better strategy
What was President Trump Accused Of? On July 25, President asked President Zelensky a favor to announce an investigation of Burisma Corporation and Hunter Biden, Joe Biden s son, who is on Burisma s board of directors. Democrats say this was in exchange for restoring $380M in US defense aid to Ukraine and for a personal audience for Zelensky Pelosi and Democrats charge that this is a bribe that put US national security interests at risk because Ukraine is fighting a war against Russia, and was done for the President s personal political gain
Charges of Impeachment Abuse of power used the levers of government to solicit election assistance from Ukraine in the form of investigations to discredit his Democratic political rivals Obstruction of justice refused to allow his aides to testify to Congress
Presidents Defense Strategy Attack the process especially the testimony given behind closed doors Attack integrity of witnesses Call it a circus, a kangaroo court Deep state conspiracy by Never Trumpers What s the big deal? We restored the military aide and Ukraine never investigated Biden Hope the public gets confused and bored by the testimony and confused by all the actors and just shrugs it off What the President did was improper but does not rise to the level of impeachment
Second impeachment Incitement of insurrection House voted to approve impeachment charges
Second impeachment Incitement of insurrection
Trumps Defense You can t convict a former president because he is already out of office so what is the point? Response: conviction would make it virtually impossible for Trump to run again The president himself was not responsible for the actions of the insurrectionists. He didn t lead them to the Capitol. His words beforehand are protected under the 1stAmendment Response: Trump egged them on, his words were inflammatory, he knew what he was doing. Will encourage future Congress s to use impeachment as a political tool
Senate vote 57-43 Largest bipartisan vote for removal of a US president Impeachment charge failed (needed 2/3rds)
Participation Questions Which of the Presidency's strategies do you think worked best of his acquittal in the Senate?
