Politico reported a new poll Wednesday, mentioning with bated breath that “Support for Trump impeachment rises.” More interesting, however, might be the fact that most of those pushing for impeachment actually admitted they didn’t think President Donald Trump has committed a high crime or misdemeanor.
While 43 percent of voters said they want Congress to begin impeachment proceedings, which represents an increase from 38 percent last week, a full 54 percent of these people said he should be impeached for reasons other than those stipulated by the Constitution.
These activists for impeachment agreed with the statement, “President Trump has proven he is unfit to serve and should be removed from office, regardless of whether he committed an impeachable offense or not.” That’s a very interesting position because it directly conflicts with the plain reading of the Constitution.
Specifically, Article II Section 4 stipulates the reasons for impeachment.
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Unless Trump can be accused of “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors,” he cannot be impeached.
Perhaps this is the reason why more people (45 percent) in the poll said they didn’t want to impeach Trump.
Only a minority of those favoring impeachment (43 percent of the 43 percent) agreed that he has “committed an impeachable offense, such as treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” A grand total of 18 percent in the poll think Trump has actually done something worthy of impeachment under the Constitution.
That 18 percent is significant, and shows the impact of a media breathless to take down their opponent in chief. It would be fascinating to hear what crime exactly they would accuse Trump of committing in his short tenure so far. (No, “collusion with the Russians” is not a “high Crime and Misdemeanor.”)
Even “obstruction of justice” would be a hard pill to swallow. It sounds reasonable at first, except when liberals consider the fact that if Trump obstructed justice by directing FBI Director James Comey to go easy on Michael Flynn, Obama is just as guilty of the same, when he delivered a not-so-veiled message that Hillary Clinton ought not be investigated. Andrew C. McCarthy has a solid, pithy, and poignant piece on this very point at National Review.
At least those who admit Trump has done nothing impeachable are honest. But they present a particularly worrisome problem, too. These 54 percent of the 43 percent who want impeachment ostensibly represent 23 percent of Americans who say Congress should impeach President Trump even though he has done nothing deserving of impeachment.
Memo to Social Justice Warriors: The Constitution does not allow Congress to impeach a president merely because he makes you feel bad. The bar for impeachment is purposefully high, and that is a good thing. No U.S. president has ever been removed from office, and as fun as it would be to watch, it would be a national tragedy for it to happen.
Words have meanings. Liberals may bandy about the word “treason” like it’s going out of style, but that crime is expressly defined in the Constitution, and neither the nebulous “collusion” nor withdrawing from the Paris Agreement foots that bill.
The Politico poll reveals two very sobering points about public opinion. Some people are so convinced of the liberal narrative that they think Trump has somehow committed an impeachable crime. Some other people are honest enough to admit he hasn’t, but think that their disgust at him is enough to get him impeached.
Trump may not be as presidential as Americans would like, but that does not make him worthy of impeachment. On that, the Constitution is crystal clear. If, kindly reader, you belong to either of these two groups supporting impeachment, please read the Constitution, sober up, and find better arguments if you must oppose the president. Few things are as dangerous as an ignorant electorate.
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