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On the second try, it should work: the American Democrats want to remove President Trump from office. But not all Democrats are happy with that. What speaks for and against impeachment?
New impeachment proceedings against US President Donald Trump will likely not be decided until January 20, the day Trump constitutionally resigns from office. Because the Senate, which after the House of Representatives has to vote on the motion, will not meet again until January 19. This means that debate and voting will likely only take place after January 20.
Still, Democrats, and some Republicans, see that it has advantages. In addition to impeachment, the draft resolution also provides for Trump’s ban on all government offices. This means that it could not be back on its feet in 2024.
It is unclear whether Trump intends to do this. But with around 74 million votes in the November election, this is likely to be an issue that concerns everyone involved – Democrats, Republicans, Trump himself – but also other potential Republican candidates. For Democrats, the prospect of blocking a potential Trump candidate is certainly tantalizing.
Republicans in a bind
For Republicans, things are more complicated. On the one hand, Trump has opened new groups of voters to them, who could lose again without him. On the other hand, the events of January 6 have shown where this can lead the party and the country.
Republicans who, in turn, are flirting with a candidacy for an important position or even the presidential candidacy will consider very carefully whether they want to provoke the ire of Trump and his supporters. In the past, Trump has gleefully and loudly intervened in the election campaigns of other candidates, especially when they did not suit him.
Either way, Democrats are forcing Republicans to study the content and form of Trump’s policies and make clear whether they want to continue his legacy or break with it. A tacit continuity or a deviation, neither is possible in such a procedure.
It would still be about Trump
For Democrats, a new impeachment process would also mean that the first weeks of Joe Biden’s term would be dominated by this issue. But Biden would like to push through his own problems, including fighting the corona pandemic.
Attempts to bridge the deep gaps in the political landscape would also be thwarted because the respective fields are more likely to be pulled into cohesion. Therefore, the president-elect has been extremely cautious when it comes to impeachment procedures: Congress will do what it does, it will follow its own policies, he said; great enthusiasm does not resonate.
For Trump himself, impeachment would also have financial consequences: he would lose his pension rights and other benefits enjoyed by former presidents. And the state would no longer pay for their safety. Either way, Trump will lose his immunity upon leaving office and could potentially face prosecution for his role in the assault on the Capitol. Whether he can forgive himself for this and other acts is legally controversial.
