By Mateo Gomez
Impeachment is a process that disrupts the economic and political environment. This has been evident after the current impeachment question was brought to bear on Sept. 24 by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
After Pelosi officially announced that the House of Representatives would initiate a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump, charging him with betraying his oath of office and the nation’s security by seeking to enlist a foreign power and tarnish a rival for political gain, the American people and its media have started focusing on impeachment issues instead of on political issues.
This is not new, though.
Impeachment was actually on the table for Trump back in 2016 when Democrats accused him of colluding with Russia to interfere in the outcome of the presidential elections. The Mueller report, the in-depth investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, showed that there was no proof to the Democrat’s claims.
Now, these additional allegations that have prompted an impeachment inquiry.
In the first Democratic debate that was hosted here in Miami last June, many argued that a Democrat needed to win because four years of a Trump presidency would be detrimental.
And, at Barry University, students have lots to say about a potential impeachment.
Senior pre-med major, Naomi Garcia, is not completely satisfied with what has been said by the candidates.
"I barely watch the debates because the candidates just attack the President. I want to know more about the actual candidate,” said Garcia.
There are other students that are not surprised by the actions of Democrats. Political science junior Gabriela Salazar is one of them.
“It is what it is,” said Salazar. “It was something that we all knew was coming.”
However, the Democrats may have found their breakthrough this year.
In Sept. 2019, President Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani told the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. This is because he used to work for an energy company from Ukraine.
A whistleblower, a snitch that gives information on potential illegal activity, released information on Trump’s abuse of power. The investigation started on Sept. 24 and the whistleblower also stated that the White House attempted to hide information from an old phone call the President made to the leader of Ukraine.
On Oct. 31, the House of Representatives voted to start the impeachment proceedings against President Trump.
As it goes, the House must bring the case up, then the U.S. Senate holds the trial.
By way of background, there have only been three other American presidents who have felt the threat of impeachment.
Bill Clinton was impeached in Dec. 1998 for lying under oath about intern, Monica Lewinsky. He denied having a sexual relationship with her.
Former president Richard Nixon resigned before potential impeachment for the Watergate scandal of the early ‘70s.
And, President Andrew Johnson was acquitted of impeachment after allegations of violating the Tenure of Office Act.
No United States president has ever been officially impeached. If the president is impeached and removed from office, the U.S. vice president assumes power.
Dr. Sean Foreman, a political science professor, offered insight on the impeachment inquiry.
“We have been expecting this to come for many months now. We are now entering a new phase where the battle lines are drawn,” said Dr. Foreman.
It is very clear that this will affect the election next year. As 2020 nears, this situation should be monitored closely by Barry students.