Trump has now been implicated in multiple felonies, which is why MSNBC’s Ali Velshi gave a quick crash course on the impeachment process.
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Velshi said:
First of all, the House of Representatives draws up articles of impeachment. Think of the House as the prosecutor, the document details any, “high crimes and misdemeanors” that the president is believed to be guilty of. Only the House can bring charges against a president but any individual congressperson can start this process. Next, the House votes. At least two-thirds of the chamber have to approve the impeachment. 288 votes as its currently instituted since there are four vacancies in the House right now. This is a high bar making many impeachment proceedings a bipartisan effort, neither party can do it on their own.
Once the House approves the articles of impeachment the matter goes to the Senate. The Senate tries the case and votes acting as defense, judge and jury. The threshold is two-thirds. Even half the chamber voting to impeach would still acquit the president. Two-thirds of the Senate, 67 as it stands right now are needed to vote guilty for impeachment. If they do, the president is removed from office, the vice president would then take his place. We have never gotten to this step before with the Senate acquitting Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Richard Nixon resigned before impeachment proceedings could begin. Had he not done that, he would have been impeached.
Impeachment is looming on the horizon
Impeachment is no longer a fever dream of some on the left. The President Of The United States has been implicated in felonies. In the short-term, Republicans in Congress can be expected to ignore this. Democrats may also not talk impeachment, because the Mueller investigation has not concluded, and the Special Counsel has not issued his report, but impeachment is the great unspoken in the current of American political discourse.
If Democrats take back at least the House, impeachment will be on the table depending on the findings of the Mueller report.
Keep this guide handy, because if the blue wave sweeps Democrats into power, and Robert Mueller provides the evidence, America could be heading for presidential impeachment.
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Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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