BSA POV: Impeachment Inquiry

Perhaps one of the most significant events of the decade is taking place at this moment. The media is going crazy about it; politicians are screaming about it. This event is, of course, the impeachment inquiry of President Donald J. Trump. House Democrats have been pushing for this inquiry for several months, and on October 31st, they got their wish. The House of Representatives passed a resolution formally authorizing an investigation and establishing procedures for the process. This is a highly divisive problem in D.C.
Faculty member Bill Gollier comments of the reality of the situation, “There is a 100 percent chance he is impeached [by the House] and a .5 percent chance he is removed from office [by the Senate]. There probably has not been enough hardcore evidence for the President’s party to turn and impeach. And, with the Senate being a Republican majority, they probably won’t vote to remove him from office.” Nevertheless, there is always a chance that the Republican Party could turn on Trump and remove him. But it would take a lot: “It would have to take something of solid, 100 percent, no innuendo, that the ‘quid pro quo’ was for political purposes. A ‘quid pro quo’ in itself is not illegal. [They] are used all the time. Right now, the amount of Republicans willing to go over, it’s not enough for removal of office.”
Back in Kansas, seventh grader Hugh Griggs has strong opinions on this matter: “I think it is rightly an inquiry, of course, but I’m irritated by the conservatives in this country, holding political power explaining that there is no “quid pro quo,” because the whole concept of the ‘quid pro quo’ is that [it] is the impeachable offense. That is not true. What Trump has already done, which is to try and solicit help from a foreign power in an election, is illegal in itself. So I think the focus should no longer be on whether or not there was a ‘quid pro quo’ because a lot of evidence suggests there was, but I think in general [that his actions are] still impeachable, regardless.” As for what the chances for removal are in the Senate, Griggs says, “I do not think [he will be removed] . . . I think it’s possible we could have a 51 to 49 majority, but . . . a supermajority is highly unlikely.”
Eighth grader Hayden Slough also has thoughts: “It’s clear from a lot of things, such as the Mueller Report and the whistleblower, that he has clearly done many things that are wrong and unconstitutional, as well as the various allegations against him in a court of law.”
Freshman Jacob Hammann is more neutral on the issue: “I believe that if public opinion is very negative towards a person in power, then that should definitely . . . be an option. If people think he should be impeached, he should be impeached.”
Junior Morgan Orozco, however, who is politically active at the local level, expresses a different opinion: “I don’t think he should be voted in for the next election, but I don’t think the Democrats should expend their political capital trying to impeach him when the 2020 election is right around the corner.”
Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Communist or Libertarian, one thing can be agreed upon: this entire process is–and will be–messy.