As tempting as it might be, now not the time to impeach Trump

Almost since the day he took office, there have been rumblings about impeaching Donald Trump. Of the 45 people who have occupied the White House since our nation’s founding, there is no one I can think of who deserves such a fate more. But now is not the time for such a drastic action, no matter how tempting it might be, or how satisfying.

   Let’s look at the case for impeachment: Donald Trump colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election. Now, to be fair, there are plenty of people who would argue that conclusion. And after a two year investigation, Robert Mueller, despite his best efforts, was unable to prove it conclusively. What we know, however, is that there were at least 10 questionable contacts between Trump’s surrogates and the Kremlin. We know that Russia offered dirt on Hillary Clinton to the Trump campaign, which his own son accepted gleefully. And we know that people around Trump lied about their contacts with Russia. Those people include his former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Paul Manfort, the chairman of Trump’s campaign. So question: If there was no collusion, why lie about those contacts? Food for thought.

   Apart from the collusion, we also have Trump’s illegal payments to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up his affair with her. We have audio taped evidence that Trump not only knew about those payments, but that he authorized his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to make them. It could be argued that this was a personal matter, and that such things aren’t grounds for impeachment. But consider the fact that when former President Bill Clinton’s affair with intern Monica Lewinsky was uncovered in 1998, Republicans pushed ahead with impeachment. If an affair was grounds for impeachment then, what makes this any different? To see Republicans justifying this today when they  screamed about public morality then is simply hypocrisy at its worst.

   Another reason for impeachment? How about obstruction of justice? To be fair, in his report, Mueller said he could neither prove nor disprove obstruction. But again, consider the evidence. We know that Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey over the Mueller investigation. He has admitted this himself. We know that he asked Justice Department officials to drop the investigation into Michael Flynn’s lies to Congress. And my goodness, we know, through hundreds, if not thousands of Trump’s own tweets, that he did everything in his power to derail and discredit the Mueller investigation. If that’s not obstruction, what is?

   Finally, perhaps the best, and most urgent reason for impeachment, is Trump’s own blazing incompetence. It’s one thing to be inexperienced. Let’s be honest. Very few people are totally prepared to become the single most powerful person in the world, with all its awesome responsibilities. Most people compensate by surrounding themselves with “Washington insiders,” people with decades of experience in federal government. As bad as he was, even George W. Bush did this, and the nation survived. But not Trump. Not only will he not admit what he doesn’t know, but he has actively surrounded himself with people who not only want to dismantle the very departments they are supposed to lead (hello, Betsy DeVos), but who are as incompetent as he is. And the result, as expected, has been catastrophic.

   Clearly, impeachment is warranted in this case, but now is not the time for it. Why? Well, to begin with, because it has zero chance of succeeding. As long as Republicans control the Senate, there is no way they would vote to convict Trump. Not only would it embarrass their party, but let’s be honest. They are too morally compromised to ever do the right thing They have willfully ignored Trump’s crimes for the past two years. They have justified  and excused his complete lack of morals, despite spending decades casting themselves as the party of “traditional values.” And the refuse to admit that he is incompetent and a danger to the republic, despite a mountain of evidence. To convict Trump, they would have to admit that they were wrong all along, and there’s simply no way that would happen.

   Another reason for waiting on impeachment is that it would only further divide an already hopelessly divided nation. Consider what happened in 1998, during the Clinton impeachment debacle. Our country was humiliated as the leader of the free world was dragged through the mud, and our country with him. Our reputation on the world stage was tarnished, and it still hasn’t fully recovered, two decades later. 

   Now, consider the current political climate. We are hopelessly divided in the death spiral of an “us” vs. “them” mentality. Trump’s supporters are allergic to facts. No matter what you show them about Trump, they simply refuse to admit that he’s anything other than the savior of a nation. What do you think would happen if Trump were impeached, or worse, convicted and removed from office? There have been threats  of a civil war if Trump were to be removed from office. As far-fetched as that might sound, it’s not as far-fetched as we might think. Trump supporters are NOT reasonable people.
   Finally, perhaps the best reason for waiting is the very real possibility that it might backfire. Again, consider the Clinton impeachment. Republicans were so sure of themselves. Then, when they failed to convict Clinton, it actually had the opposite effect. Clinton actually became even MORE popular. Americans sided with him, and Republicans actually damaged their party and ended up losing the upcoming midterms. As incredible as it might sound, there’s a real possibility that the same thing could happen here. Trump’s supporters are already rabid. This would only serve to galvanize that support, and Trump might very well end up winning in 2020. That would serve no one’s best interest, especially not this country’s.
   I know Democrats are desperate to get rid of Trump. And who can blame them? It would be an indescribable pleasure to see him handcuffed and frog-marched out of the White House. But now is a time when discretion is the better part of valor. If we are willing to sit back and be patient, it is inevitable that Trump will trip himself up. And when he does, he will finally get the justice that is long overdue, the cancer will be excised from our government, and the country as a whole will be better off.