Will%20Donald%20Trump%20again%20escape%20impeachment%20conviction%3F

In%20December%202019%2C%20when%20House%20Speaker%20Nancy%20Pelosi%20announced%20a%20formal%26nbsp%3Bimpeachment%20enquiry%20against%26nbsp%3BPresident%20Trump%2C%20she%20recounted%20an%20anecdote%20to%20back%20her%20arguments.%26nbsp%3BPelosi%20said%2C%20%u201COn%20the%20final%20day%20of%20the%20Constitutional%20Convention%20in%201787%2C%20when%20our%20Constitution%20was%20adopted%2C%20Americans%20gathered%20on%20the%20steps%20of%20Independence%20Hall%20to%20await%20the%20news%20of%20the%20government%20our%20founders%20had%20crafted.%20They%20asked%20Benjamin%20Franklin%2C%20%u2018What%20do%20we%20have%2C%20a%20republic%20or%20a%20monarchy%3F%u2019%20Franklin%20replied%2C%20%u2018A%20republic%2C%20if%20you%20can%20keep%20it.%u2019

Pelosi%20has%20been%20in%20the%20forefront%20of%20efforts%20to%20%27%20Keep%20the%20Republic%27%20in%20the%20wake%20of%20this%20week%27s%20unprecedented%20challenges.%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BWednesday%206th%20January%202021%20will%20go%20down%20as%20perhaps%20the%20darkest%20and%20most%20embarrassing%20day%20in%20history%20for%20most%20Americans%20because%20on%20that%20day%20the%20country%27s%20President%20incited%20a%20mob%20of%20his%20supporters%20to%20attack%20and%20ransack%20the%20Capitol%2C%20the%20temple%20of%20America%27s%20democracy%20which%20houses%20the%20Senate%20and%20the%20House%20of%20Representatives.%26nbsp%3B

More%20than%20two%20months%20had%20elapsed%20since%20the%20US%20Presidential%20elections%20were%20held%20on%20November%203%2C%20but%20President%20Trump%20refused%20to%20accept%20the%20verdict%20which%20had%20gone%20in%20favour%20of%20his%20rival%2C%20Joe%20Biden.%26nbsp%3BHe%26nbsp%3Bcomplained%20that%20the%20Presidential%20election%20results%20were%20%u201Crigged%u201D%20due%20to%20widespread%20fraud%2C%20while%20election%20officials%20repeatedly%20said%20that%20there%20was%20no%20evidence%20to%20back%20Trump%u2019s%20claims.%26nbsp%3BThe%20Trump%20campaign%20also%20filed%20dozens%20of%20lawsuits%20challenging%20the%20election%20results%20but%20was%20rebuffed%20in%20most%20state%20and%20federal%20courts.

Claiming%20that%20the%20election%20had%20been%20stolen%20from%20him%2C%20Trump%20incited%26nbsp%3Ba%20mob%20of%20his%20supporters%20to%20storm%20the%20U.S.%20Capitol%20when%20the%20US%20Congress%20met%20on%20January%206%20to%20formally%20count%20the%20Electoral%20College%20votes.%20Violence%20broke%20out%20as%20the%20mob%20ransacked%20the%20Capitol%2C%20and%20members%20of%20Congress%20were%20forced%20to%20go%20into%20hiding%20for%20their%20safety.%20Five%20persons%20died%20in%20the%20mayhem%2C%20including%20a%20policeman.%20Reports%20indicate%20that%20eighty-two%20persons%20have%20been%20arrested%20and%20police%20are%20on%20the%20hunt%20for%20others%20who%20were%20involved%20in%20the%20attack.

Although%26nbsp%3BCongress%20reconvened%20the%20following%20day%20and%20certified%20Biden%u2019s%20election%20victory%2C%26nbsp%3BTrump%20continues%20to%20be%20severely%20criticised%20for%20inciting%20the%20violence%2C%20including%20by%20some%20members%20of%20his%20own%20Party.%26nbsp%3BTop%20Democratic%20Party%20leaders%20including%20Nancy%20Pelosi%20and%20Chuck%20Schumer%20%28leader%20of%20the%20Democrats%20in%20the%20Senate%29%20have%20called%20on%20Vice%20President%20Mike%20Pence%20and%20Trump%u2019s%20Cabinet%20to%20invoke%20the%2025th%20Amendment%20of%20the%20US%20Constitution%2C%20which%20allows%20them%20to%20strip%20the%20president%20of%20his%20powers%20if%20he%20is%20unfit%20to%20discharge%20the%20duties%20of%20his%20office.%20They%20have%20also%20said%20that%20if%20Pence%20and%20Trump%27s%20Cabinet%20refuse%20to%20do%20so%2C%20they%20would%20call%20for%20Trump%20to%20be%20impeached.%26nbsp%3B%u201CThe%20president%u2019s%20dangerous%20and%20seditious%20acts%20necessitate%20his%20immediate%20removal%20from%20office%2C%u201D%20they%20said%20in%20a%20statement%20accusing%20Trump%20of%20inciting%20an%20%u201Cinsurrection.%u201D

It%20is%20rather%20unlikely%20that%20Vice%20President%20Pence%20and%20the%20members%20of%20the%20Trump%20cabinet%20will%20rule%20that%20the%20President%20is%20no%20longer%20capable%20of%20discharging%20his%20duties.%20In%20the%20unlikely%20event%20that%20they%20do%20so%2C%20Trump%20would%20contest%20the%20decision%20and%20the%20matter%20would%20go%20to%20Congress.%20A%20two-thirds%20majority%20in%20both%20the%20House%20and%20the%20Senate%20would%20be%20needed%20to%20declare%20that%20the%20President%20will%20not%20remain%20in%20office.%20Again%2C%20it%20is%20unlikely%20that%20those%20asking%20for%20Trump%27s%20removal%20under%20the%20Twenty%20Fifth%20Amendment%20will%20be%20able%20to%20secure%20a%20two-thirds%20majority.

What%20about%20the%20issue%20of%20impeaching%20Trump%20for%20which%20a%20clamour%20is%20growing%20by%20the%20hour%20and%20has%20in%20fact%20reached%20a%20crescendo%3F%20It%20is%20doubtful%20whether%26nbsp%3Benough%20time%20is%20left%20for%20completing%20the%20impeachment%20and%20conviction%20process%20before%20Trump%20leaves%20office%20on%20January%2020.%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BCan%20the%20process%20continue%20even%20after%20Trump%20leaves%20office%3F%26nbsp%3B

%26nbsp%3BUS%20legal%20experts%20are%20divided%20on%20this%20matter.%20There%20are%20some%20who%20believe%20that%20Trump%20can%20only%20be%20impeached%20while%20he%20is%20in%20office%2C%20while%20there%20are%20others%20who%20believe%20that%20if%20the%20process%20has%20commenced%20in%20the%20House%2C%20it%20could%20continue%20in%20the%20Senate%20even%20after%20he%20has%20left%20office.%20In%20this%20regard%2C%20they%20have%20cited%20a%20legal%20precedent.%26nbsp%3BIn%201876%2C%20Secretary%20of%20War%20William%20Belknap%20was%20investigated%20by%20the%20House%20for%20corruption.%20Just%20minutes%20before%20the%20House%20was%20set%20to%20vote%20on%20his%20impeachment%2C%20he%20went%20to%20the%20White%20House%20and%20handed%20his%20resignation%20to%20President%20Ulysses%20Grant.%26nbsp%3BHowever%2C%20the%20House%20went%20ahead%20and%20impeached%20him.%20The%20Senate%20also%20proceeded%20to%20have%20a%20trial%20though%20he%20was%20acquitted%20as%20two-thirds%20of%20the%20Senators%20did%20not%20vote%20in%20favour%20of%20the%20conviction.

It%20may%20be%20noted%20that%20in%20terms%20of%20the%20provisions%20relating%20to%20impeachment%20proceedings%2C%20the%20House%20of%20Representatives%20charges%20an%20official%20of%20the%20federal%20government%20by%20approving%20the%20articles%20of%20impeachment%20by%20majority%20vote%2C%20but%20the%20Constitution%20requires%26nbsp%3B%3Ci%3Ea%20two-thirds%20vote%20of%20the%20Senate%20to%20convict%20the%20person%20being%20impeached.%3C/i%3E

The%20Democrat-controlled%20House%20had%20impeached%20Trump%20in%20December%202019%20for%20pressurising%20the%20president%20of%20Ukraine%20to%20investigate%20Biden%2C%20but%20the%20Republican-held%20Senate%20had%20acquitted%20him%20in%20February%202020.

%3Ci%3E%26nbsp%3B%3C/i%3EThis%20time%20also%2C%20while%20the%20Democrat-dominated%20House%20may%20impeach%20him%3Ci%3E%2C%26nbsp%3B%3C/i%3Eit%20is%20not%20likely%20that%20a%20two-thirds%20majority%20of%20the%20Senate%20required%20for%20conviction%20will%20be%20obtained.%26nbsp%3BThere%20is%20so%20far%20no%20indication%20that%20enough%20members%20of%20the%20president%27s%20party%20would%20agree%20to%20convict%20him.%20Thus%2C%20if%20impeachment%20proceedings%20start%20for%20a%20second%20time%20against%20Trump%2C%20they%20might%20end%20with%20the%20same%20outcome%20as%20before.%26nbsp%3B

Since%20Trump%20is%20leaving%20office%20on%20January%2020th%2C%20the%20question%20is%20being%20asked%20if%20there%20is%20any%20real%20need%20for%20starting%20the%20impeachment%20process%3F%20The%20fact%20is%20that%20the%26nbsp%3BDemocrats%20want%20Trump%27s%20political%20career%20to%20be%20ended%20once%20and%20for%20all%3B%20if%20the%26nbsp%3BSenate%20convicts%20him%2C%20he%20can%20also%20be%20debarred%20him%20from%20holding%20public%20office.

In%20all%20likelihood%2C%20Trump%20should%20again%20be%20able%20to%20escape%20conviction%20by%20the%20Senate%20even%20if%20he%20is%20impeached%20by%20the%20House.%26nbsp%3BHowever%2C%20nothing%20can%20be%20ruled%20out%20in%20politics.%20Trump%20has%20said%20that%20he%20will%20be%20running%20for%20President%20in%202024%3B%20he%20will%20be%2078%20years%20old%20at%20that%20time%2C%20but%20so%20is%20Biden%20right%20now%21%20Therefore%2C%20his%20age%20may%20not%20work%20against%20him.%20Going%20by%20present%20indications%2C%20he%20has%20a%20strong%20support%20base%20which%20might%20again%20propel%20him%20ahead%20of%20other%20Republican%20candidates%20and%20help%20him%20get%20his%20party%27s%20nomination%20as%20it%20did%20in%202016.%20Would%20his%20rivals%20relish%20that%20possibility%3F%20Or%2C%20would%20they%20rather%20have%20him%20elbowed%20out%20of%20the%20way%3F

In%20other%20words%2C%20will%20Trump%27s%20rivals%20work%26nbsp%3Bwith%20the%20Democrats%20in%20the%20impeachment%20process%20in%20order%20to%20put%20an%20end%20to%20his%20political%20career%3F%20The%20drift%20of%20public%20opinion%20is%20against%20Trump%2C%20and%20they%20might%20find%20it%20convenient%20to%20go%20along.%20Politics%2C%20like%20adversity%20makes%20strange%20bed-fellows%2C%20and%20nothing%20can%20be%20ruled%20out%20at%20this%20juncture.%26nbsp%3B

%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23CapitolRiots%22%20data-user-id%3D%22ddvWbVNKcwaS%22%20href%3D%22/topic/capitolriots%22%3E%23CapitolRiots%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23DonaldTrump%22%20data-user-id%3D%226bkg9ruYdDHn%22%20href%3D%22/topic/donald-trump%22%3E%23DonaldTrump%3C/a%3E%20%26nbsp%3B%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23NancyPelosi%22%20data-user-id%3D%22iUzPA1V37tX7%22%20href%3D%22/topic/nancy-pelosi%22%3E%23NancyPelosi%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23UnitedStates%22%20data-user-id%3D%2268BmsQksQWFV%22%20href%3D%22/topic/united-states%22%3E%23UnitedStates%3C/a%3E%20%26nbsp%3B