The Proper Response to Trump's Fake Emergency

The Proper Response to Trump's Fake Emergency.

The Proper Response to Trump's Fake Emergency.

Nancy Pelosi warned Trump that if he declares an emergency over his proposed wall, the next Democratic president might declare an emergency over gun violence.  This is not the proper response.

The proper response is to declare that the house will immediately impeach the President if he pulls this stunt for violating his oath of office, among his other high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the GOP members of the Senate are going to be held publicly accountable for their support of Trump if they fail to convict him for this absolutely intolerable overreach of presidential power. Then add the part about the precedent as a way of explaining why the overreach should be intolerable to everyone. The game she's playing merely validates Trump's strategy as legitimate.

Impeachment is a political judgement, not one applying criminal law burdens of proof. The Senate need only find in its own judgment that the claimed emergency does not exist and that the declaration is in bad faith in order for Trump's action to be conclusively an attempt to subvert the legislative process in violation of the Constitution, which certainly amounts to a High Crime. The evidence of other crises (gun violence, climate change) in comparison to decreasing border crossings in tandem with the fact that the proposed Wall does not effectively address the falsely claimed problem make it an easy judgment to reach. The Democrats and everyone against Trump's administration need to then make a full court press against the Senate Republicans to convict or face losing their seat next election. Let the court process go forward, but don't count on the Supreme Court to stand up for democracy. Impeaching the President will put the conservative justices on notice that if they fail to protect the constitution, they will be next on the impeachment calendar. That's what's called for.

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