Some Republican House members are discussing for the first time what would have to happen for them to seek to impeach President Donald Trump.
“Back home among their constituents, some Republicans are dropping the I word.”
Back home among their constituents, some Republicans are dropping the I word. https://t.co/dzJwtcgkuT
— Roll Call (@rollcall) August 24, 2018
Nobody has jumped to any conclusions yet about whether Trump should face impeachment, of course, but at least it is being discussed.
Some GOP Members of Congress have spoken openly the past few days about the prospect of impeaching the president.
“We’ve got to wait for the investigations to finish, House, Senate, and more,” North Carolina Rep. Walter Jones, who has criticized Trump’s remarks in the past, told WITN. “At whatever point, if it’s justified, that they recommend impeachment, then that would be on the table.”
On Thursday Michigan Rep. Justin Amash tweeted that the criminal allegations against Trump are “serious and should be taken seriously, especially by members of Congress.”
“Many of the allegations against @POTUS are serious and should be taken seriously, especially by members of Congress.”
Many of the allegations against @POTUS are serious and should be taken seriously, especially by members of Congress.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) August 23, 2018
Amash echoed Jones in saying that Congress should wait until special counsel Mueller finishes his investigation. He said Mueller could uncover more of the 2016 Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, and he could also find other crimes that the president was involved in.
“We don’t impeach simply because we dislike a person or disagree with his policies. If you’re unhappy about the president, then don’t vote for him in 2020,” Amash wrote. “The electoral process should determine who holds the executive power.”
At a town hall event in his New York district, Rep. John Katko was asked questions about Trump and impeachment. He said “it’s dangerous to speculate” before the investigation has wrapped up. He also said that he will “abide by the facts wherever they lead us,” the Auburn Citizen reported. “I’m not saying he’s innocent… I’m not saying he’s guilty,” Katko added.
Clearly the issue of impeachment is looming large over many GOP House members this year, in advance of the November elections.
This year’s midterms will decide whether their party keeps control of the House, or if Democrats win the majority.
According to Jones, Republicans are in “deep political trouble.” But he maintains that if there is a “blue wave” election it won’t be the fault of the GOP candidates.
“The sad thing is, it’s not so much what we have done as a party, but what the head of the party in the White House has done,” Jones lamented, no doubt expressing the sentiments of many others.
Former National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Tom Cole said that GOP candidates should not defend the president, just in case more incriminating information comes out.
“Where there’s smoke, and there’s a lot of smoke, there may well be fire,” Cole reportedly told Republicans, according to The New York Times.
“Anybody who says this is not disturbing is not being honest,” Cole said. “My advice to any candidate would be: Keep your powder dry and don’t rush to attack or defend anybody because you just don’t know enough to have a reaction that you can still defend three months from now.”
So far Republicans in Congress have enabled the president to carry out his anti-American agenda while getting away with crimes. They have allowed corruption to flourish in Washington in ways never before seen.
If the current environment means this is changing, and the GOP will now stand up and fulfill their constitutional role of presidential oversight, then there is hope that our country will survive the trying ordeal of the Trump presidency.
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