David Corn: Why the Second Impeachment of Donald Trump Is More Important Than the First [View all]

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https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/02/why-the-second-impeachment-of-donald-trump-is-more-important-than-the-first/

Why the Second Impeachment of Donald Trump Is More Important Than the First
His betrayal of the nation was profound and existential. There must be a full reckoning.
David Corn
Washington, DC, Bureau ChiefBio | Follow

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Yet despite the the deja-vu-ness of this been-there/done-that impeachment and the absence of a possible political death sentence, the second Trump impeachment is far more important than the first, for it ultimately is about securing and protecting the defining ideal of the United States: that this nation is a democracy that honors principle not power.

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The case is not merely about what Trump said at a rally immediately before the protesters he had called to Washington for a “wild” day—a rage-fueled mob that included neo-Nazis, Christian insurrectionists, and white supremacists—marched on Capitol Hill and raided a citadel of American democracy. Nor is it just about what Trump in the White House did as the brownshirts he had riled up overran the Capitol, called for the deaths of Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, and killed a police officer, while seriously injuring scores of others, who were literally placing their bodies on the line for democracy. (Trump reportedly watched the rampage with excitement, perhaps hoping it would achieve the strategic aim he and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani were then chasing: delaying Congress’ certification of the electoral votes.) Nor is it only about Trump’s effort that day to pressure Pence to take the unconstitutional step of blocking that certification. Trump’s disgraceful actions on January 6 were the endgame of a conspiracy against the United States he had been pursuing for months.

Trump had betrayed the nation—as he had before. (See the COVID pandemic.) He had sought to delegitimize an election. He had encouraged a violent insurrection. He did nothing at first when domestic terrorists assaulted Congress. Trump’s Ukraine phone call was a minor instance of sleaze compared to this crusade of full-scale treachery—like Al Capone’s tax evasion compared to his entire criminal villainy. And even if Trump is now out of office, his impeachment and trial remain vitally necessary. His attempt to undermine democracy demands investigation and judgment. Future chief executives need to know that they will not have a free pass to take a last-minute stab at clinging to power through skulduggery and terrorism. And members of Congress—now and in the years to come—ought to be taught that they are accountable for holding a power-grabbing, sedition-pushing president responsible for such sins against the republic. This impeachment does not only place Trump in the dock; it puts Republicans in a harsh spotlight. This is a test for them. Will they allow Trump’s democracy-endangering actions to go unpunished? And as the House impeachment managers chronicle Trump’s wrongdoing, as well as the awful details and tragic casualties of January 6, they will serve a much-needed purpose: providing the public with its first extensive look at the Tump-incited horrific event that merits further investigation by Congress and other bodies.

Then there is the matter of Trump’s legacy. He warrants an appropriate send-off. Presidents come to be defined in shorthand. Lincoln won the Civil War and ended slavery. Washington relinquished power. Nixon resigned. Trump will forever be twice-impeached—a distinction that will be especially meaningful if it is noted that the second one was in response to his attack on the nation’s democratic foundation. It is improbable that 17 Republican senators will join the Democrats to convict Trump at this latest trial. But a majority of the Senate will likely vote against Trump, and that will tarnish Trump as a president who, in the eyes of most members of Congress, ended his term as an enemy of the state. Whatever Trump’s political future, this will become an impossible-to-undo part of his brand—a disgraceful foe of constitutional government.

Trump is the first president to threaten American democracy in such a direct, profound, and violent manner. And this impeachment is no retread. It may lack suspense. It may seem to some as a going-through-the-motions exercise with an easy-to-predict conclusion. It may cut against the sentiment of those who want to move past Trump. But Trump committed one of the greatest political crimes in American history, and that deserves a full reckoning—for now and for the future.