Watching the Impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump over the past two weeks has been a depressing experience. The trial essentially ended on January 31 when 51 Republican senators voted to not see any further witnesses or documents. This decision has huge implications for America and is another step on the downward descent that the country has been on over the past three years.
The most obvious impact of this trial is that it is a deadly blow to America’s systems of government and justice. For years, America has taken justifiable pride in its system of checks and balances. Most trials in the U.S. have witnesses, a presentation of documents and cross-examination so that the case of the prosecution and defense can be challenged in a fair and balanced way.
For Impeachment trials of senior government officials, including the president, America has rules with respect to the process of submitting evidence and which evidence can be exempted through executive privilege. For the first time in the history of Senate Impeachment trials, there were no witnesses and no submission of documents relevant to the case. When a key witness, with evidence directly relevant to this case, volunteered to come before the senate, he, along with other testimony and witnesses were blocked. The president claimed blanket executive privilege on all White House witnesses and documents.
By voting 51 to 49 for no witnesses and documents, the senate effectively gave the president a free hand in performing other dubious acts of this nature and in impeding the process of conducting a fair trial. Yesterday a key check and balance was removed, and America’s democracy and system of justice regressed. The reasons for this action are obvious.
While several Republicans claim that the president’s misconduct did not rise to the level of impeachment, it is hard to relate this position with the fact that President Clinton was impeached for lying about having sex with an intern. The claim made by Professor Dershowitz that the president is free to perform these acts of “quid pro quo” as part of the execution of his official duties is ridiculous.
The American people recognize that these 51 Republican senators are so afraid of receiving political punishment from the president, and/or leader McConnell, and/or their voters, for doing the right thing, that they chose to be manipulated into casting a vote that is so damaging to their country.
While many of these senators would admit that what President Trump did was “inappropriate,” they could not bring themselves to vote to hear some witnesses with first-hand knowledge of the interactions between Presidents Trump and Zelensky. These senators and many of their followers seem to be wedded to the view that no matter how bad a person President Trump is, his shortcomings should be overlooked since he has been instrumental in the appointment of conservative judges, reduction of taxes and the elimination of rules that restrict business activities. President Trump should remain in power since he was duly elected and has contributed to the economic strength, low unemployment and (until recently) soaring stock market.
While one can argue that President Trump has played some part in these economic developments, this argument misses the bigger picture of where America is going. President Trump is the leader of the US government and the head of the free world. Every move he makes is closely watched by millions of people globally. His activities and statements have harmed the image of America around the world.
The leader of a country should be a role model for its citizens. President Trump is not a positive role model for many people. He has lied over 16,000 times. He demeans the office of the president by sending out vicious tweets and making public statements that are direct attacks on people who may not share his views or who are critical of him. His “Access Hollywood” videotape captures how he feels about women. His comments about Charlottesville highlighted how he feels about race relations in America.
Ronald Reagan emphasized that “America is a shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere." The light we see emanating from America today is flashing red and screaming “Danger, Danger, Danger.”
There is Danger coming from the fires that it is experiencing due to President Trump’s lack of support for the scientific rationale for Climate Change, and his unwillingness to support policies that will reduce harmful emissions. There is Danger from the gun violence that is occurring throughout America, due in large part to his failure to support thoughtful and effective gun legislation. There is Danger today in the way immigrants are treated. Separating parents from children and placing people on cages at the border is the exact opposite of what President Reagan highlighted in his famous speech. There is Danger today from level of anger many of its citizens are feeling as a result of the failure of its elected officials to do the right thing and protect its system of government that was so painstakingly created by its founders. This is a sad time for America, and the rest of the world.