The Democrats Must Begin the Process of Impeachment

By Robert Reich, Robert Reich's Facebook Page

24 October 17

f course Democrats in our nation’s capital should be in favor of impeaching Trump. So should Republicans. He has committed at least 4 impeachable acts:

1. Taking money from foreign powers, in violation of the emoluments clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 9) – when they stay at his hotels and grant him business licenses and patents.


2. Failing to faithfully execute the laws, in violation of Article II, Section 3) – when he refuses to implement the Affordable Care Act.


3. Obstruction of justice, in violation of the laws of the United States -- when he fired the head of the FBI for proceeding to investigate his possible connections to Russian interference in our election.


4. Violation of the First Amendment – when he threatens the free press. And if it’s determined that Trump knew about or was involved in Russia’s interference in our elections, he should be impeached under Article III, Section defining “treason against the United States.”

It is not necessary for a President to have been convicted of a crime for him to be impeached and removed from office. There only must be sufficient grounds for an inquiry into impeachment, undertaken by the House of Representatives, followed by a tribunal in the Senate.

If Republicans won’t begin such a proceeding, Democrats must – and the 2018 midterm election should be a referendum on their doing so. Your thoughts?