Pelosi Is Wrong. Trump Is More Impeachable Than Ever.
President Donald Trump has been accused of committing innumerable “high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” When we released To End A Presidency: The Power of Impeachment in May 2018, we took pains to separate the wheat from the chaff. We concluded that four alleged impeachable offenses merited further investigation: (1) improper dealings with Russia surrounding the 2016 presidential election; (2) obstruction of justice in Russia-related investigations; (3) abuse of the pardon power; and (4) implementing kleptocracy.
We stand by our original conclusions. Indeed, in many respects the facts bearing on these four issues have grown worse for Trump. The evidence of sketchy interactions with Russia during the election is now much stronger; his assaults on the Russia investigation have continued apace; and Trump’s financial entanglements with hostile powers have cast a pall of corruption over key foreign policy judgments.
Recently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi threw cold water on calls for immediate removal proceedings. “Impeachment,” she warned, “is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path, because it divides the country.” This is a wise political and constitutional judgment—for now. Given what is currently known, and given the state of the nation, we need investigation, oversight, and deliberation, not a rush toward impeachment.