He is also completely inept, a pathological serial liar, a hopelessly ignorant delusional mess and a complete disaster in any number of other ways. Proper investigation might lead to several crimes for which impeachment would be justified, but the Emoluments Clauses (both the foreign and domestic versions) are perhaps the most plausible way to end his terrible reign of error.
To address this unprecedented corruption of the Oval Office and this threat to our Constitution and our democracy, we believe Congress must move forward now with an impeachment investigation of President Trump. More than 575,000 people from across the country have already called for this, joining a new campaign launched moments after President Trump took the Oath of Office. The President’s possible conflicts of interest have become increasingly apparent.
In the meantime, instead of starting to “make America great again,” the 45th President should read the Constitution and “make the President honest again.”
After all, he swore to uphold the Constitution.
Regrettably, the oath of office only asks that the president to preserve protect and defend the Constitution to the best of his ability.
Just 16 days into the American reality show/horror story — Executive Apprentice, (Produced and Directed by Steve Bannon) the emoluments clause may not be an issue that provokes vast public outcry or compels any of us take up signs and march in the streets — but it could be the key to ending the T*rump administration.
Consider a parallel with the downfall of the notorius gangster Al Capone in 1931— en.wikipedia.org/... it was simple tax evasion — not murder, bribery, corruption, rackettering or any number of far more serious crimes that finally brought him to justice. Look to the Emoluments clause to be T*rumps undoing, his feet of clay. www.google.com/...
Republicans in Congress won’t readily act against a still popular president — without motivation. They clearly have more and more of that each day, given his wildly inept erratic alogical imperial approach to governance by EO — some whose details he seems to be unaware of — railing against the Judiciary and ignoring the Legislative branches. So. now what they need is a convenient rationale — and that is where the Constitution’s Emoluments clause enters the picture.
Unable to separate himself from his businesses — and therefore unable to eliminate the constitutional conflicts of interest — Trump is now subject to impeachment.
But can we get there from here ?
Any member of Congress can bring charges in the US House of Representatives— but moving to a trial and conviction vote in the Senate, that is only possible with massive cooperative action by Republican majority.
Why in the world would they want to do that — because contrary to popular opinion not all of them are total idiots and some of them are in fact patriots — when faced with clear and present threats to the democratic republic — some will recognize the futility of propping up Bannon’s ventriloquist dummy — and admit that he can and should be replaced.
Countless Trump voters must by now be having serious buyer’s remorse over their choice now that the SCOTUS has proven to be so overmatched and uninformed. To save face, most of them will keep those views private — regardless of how much peril the nation is in. Shame will not allow them to accept the truth and publicly admit they were duped into voting for a fraud — a big empty headed lummox who threatens to destroy a century of environmental and social progress, undermine the good faith and credit of the US Govt, soil our national honor and break sacred oaths and promises made to both citizens and allies. But there is a way to let them save face.
They can accept, with little sense of self shame, that the SCOTUS is in violation of the constitutions Emoluments clause — and that he has no practical remedy. He must either divest, resign or be impeached. Its that simple. Ego won’t let Trump quit or divest from the family business — can’t say how he’ll respond to impeachment — that could get really ugly.
Impeachment is the correct and proper course of action under the constitution — and violation of the Emoluments clause is probably the only rational basis for impeachment that allows his ‘supporters’ to save face. Be clear, we need not be all that concerned about sparing T’rump voters their feelings — but we will need them to find a way to support impeachment and violation of the Emoluments clause(s) seems like the best way to accomplish that. If they get to avoid the shame of all the other possible inglorious ends to this administration — that isn’t too big a price.
We’re not going to like the Pence administration — not one bit — but under Pence the Republic might survive until the next election where we can begin to make amends.
So, I congratulate TIME for their willingness to publish an editorial opinion advocating impeachment of the 2016 ‘Person of the Year.’ If the entertainment editor would weigh in they might also agree that the ratings are awful and it might be time to put an end to the Executive Apprentice reality freakshow presidency. It would be a good thing for everyone if Mr. T*rump returned home to NY so he can spend more time with his family. I’ve had about enough of his messing with the security and well being of everyone else’s.