“Wait,” you say, “under the Constitution it’s the Senate that’s supposed to hold a trial for the president in a case of impeachment. The House is more like a grand jury, with the articles of impeachment analogous to an indictment.” Right, Tribe understands that. He’s not claiming that Trump can be removed by the House acting unilaterally. What he’s saying is that, since the Republican Senate will vote to acquit him no matter what, Pelosi should treat the Senate side of the process as a farce and dispense with it, holding her own “trial” in the House. If the president’s found “guilty” — and he will be, of course — then Democrats can claim a symbolic victory. Even though it would mean nothing in terms of removing him from office. What Tribe wants, in other words, is to indulge the left’s impulse to impeach in its purest form. It’s not really about removing Trump from office, although of course they’d love that. At its core it’s about rebuking the president in the most potent way available way to them, which is why censure and long committee investigations that end with no official action being taken just won’t cut it for diehard progressive anti-Trumpers. They want to see the famously unaccountable Donald Trump held to account via the most forceful accountability mechanism the House possesses. Tribe’s giving them that. Impeach him, hold a “trial” in the House that has no force of law, and content yourself with the fact that that’s the most you can hope for knowing that 67 votes in the Senate are required for removal...MORE
It wouldn;t be the first time they have ignored the Constitution.
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