Letter: Impeachment isn’t simple

Published 12:02 am Sunday, June 16, 2019

David Bean’s call to impeach President Donald Trump will no doubt be a much repeated phrase in the coming days, but one that will fail just has with the two other presidents it has been tried on (Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson).

To begin with, most people do not realize it’s a two-step process. The House of Representatives introduces the articles of impeachment and brings forth an indictment in the way a grand jury operates. Then it goes to the Senate, which conducts a trial with the chief justice of the Supreme Court presiding. This is where both impeachment proceedings failed because the votes weren’t there.

Richard Nixon resigned only when it became apparent in his case the votes were there and he didn’t want to be the first president removed in this manner.

And for those of you interested in trivia, Johnson’s impeachment failed by one vote provided by Sen. Edmund Ross of Kansas. Ross lost his bid for re-election two years later and never held elected office again.

Trump will get his second term, with or without impeachment.

Charles Hyder

Dalton