Impeachment v. Voting

         

   

          Former FBI Director James Comey released his book a few months ago detailing his interactions with Donald Trump and his own philosophies on moral leadership. A Higher Loyalty describes just that, an understanding of the higher callings of truth and morality that sometimes drive a person to break norms or loyalties with their superiors. Comey stresses this by reminding the reader “the higher loyalty is to lasting values, most important the truth.” The release was predated by rounds of TV, Radio, and newspaper interviews where he expanded on the revelations in the book and his opinions surrounding the decisions he made as Director. Although you can only give so much new information after your 20th interview, one point really struck me, that he did not believe President Trump should be forcably removed from office. Expressing what I think is an impressive prospective of what that might mean for the country, Comey said rather that citizens were “duty bound” to “go to the voting booth and vote their values.” What I want to focus on today is what both of these options might mean in an overarching sense, and what possible impacts they could have on the zeitgeist of the United States. With the release of the most recent report by the Inspector General reviewing Director Comey’s decisions surrounding the Clinton investigation, I thought it best to revisit his opinion on impeachment vs voting.

            I can understand where Comey is coming from when he expresses uncertainty about impeachment. But for those in favor of this option, what seems to be the greater issue is essentially damage control. I do think that Trump is damaging the country, but given the way our country works, both politically and culturally, these damages are not going to become apparent for years. With every tweet, insult, and dismissal he is setting precedents that others will use to their advantage later. If you are the President and you don’t like the information the Justice Department is giving you, call them morons and part of the deep state. If you don’t like the facts present by the media, exposing a lie, call them fake news. The decisions Trump makes every day enable future Presidents to take the same actions to the detriment of our society. Impeachment has three motivations, limiting the damage done to the country, returning the hill to a norm, and demonstrating the supremacy of justice. The last factor is, I believe, the best argument for impeachment: no one is above the law, not even the President. With the Special Council closing in on the Trump team, and nearly every day there is another revelation that someone had lied, it seems like it is only a matter of time until some sort of action is taken.

            The other option is to let the White House continue to operate as is until 2020 when the people have the chance to vote him out of office. Admittedly, this is what I was expecting in 2016. I expected people to look past bluster and not buy the snake oil Donald Trump was selling. I expected voters to understand that while populism is understandable in politics, his campaign played on the worst aspect of our society: fear, nationalism, racism, isolationism, and superiority. But that did not happen and Donald Trump is now President of the United States. Voting Trump out of office would represent a resounding denial of his policies, we tried them, we bought what you were selling, and if it does not work, you’re out. It would also be a renewal of our country’s dedication to democracy. Right now, thousands and thousands of people are screaming for Trump to be impeached, just like Obama during his term, or Bush, or Clinton. Every President faces nearly half a nation hating them, but there is never a coup or anarchy in the streets, our people respect democratic principles even if we sometimes hate the result. Three more years of Trump would also mean three more years of deregulation, decreasing taxes, wealth inequality, disrespect towards all other groups and countries, further alienation of our allies and institutions, and disdaining of science and global warming. I wonder if we really can afford to take such a chance.

            Ultimately, I think James Comey is right that it would be more powerful and better for the country as a whole if Donald Trump was voted out of office. Like when he dealt with announcing that the FBI was reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email practices, we must choose what is ‘least bad’. I truly believe removing Trump from office via impeachment would be a disaster and prove everything he has said. Coupled with Fox News, Twitter, and the general megaphone of hate, he and his followers would spin the message to one of a deep state conspiracy. No matter how meticulous the case of Robert Muller, how solid the Justice Department’s enforcement, and how dedicated the Senate’s voting for removal, the cult of Trump would overpower their voice. If the process was fully carried out, Trump would then most likely become a private citizen again, where he could say anything he wanted. His supporters would feel completely justified in saying we ‘never really gave him a chance’, and he could have been something more.

It will be our duty to vote him out of office in 2020.