It is expected that the House of Representatives will move to impeach President Donald Trump this week on charges that he incited his supporters to invade the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.* If the House moves forward with impeachment, Trump will become the first sitting president in American history to be impeached twice while in office. Because there are only 10 days left in his term, there is almost no chance that a trial on impeachment charges will actually take place. However, it holds great symbolic meaning for Trump’s political collapse, as does the permanent suspension of his social media accounts by platforms like Twitter and Facebook, and the U.S. attorney general’s statement that the Department of Justice will continue to investigate Trump on charges of seditious conspiracy even after he leaves office.
The calamitous fall of someone who was the president of the most powerful country in the world is unprecedented. In addition to the fact that it represents a personal failure for Trump, it’s even more cutting to see how it symbolized the crisis facing the American presidency and modern democracy. Although the meaning of this situation can be viewed in many different ways, at its core, it serves as a reminder of the fundamentals of democracy.
Democracy can only function if the wishes of the majority of a nation’s citizens, expressed through an election system, are respected. Trump has consistently rejected the results of the presidential election, taking legal action to nullify the vote, stirring up his supporters and inciting a violent insurrection at the Capitol. This situation shows the kind of misery that ensues when the people’s choice is not respected. This is a vital moment for politicians to reflect upon, not only in the United States, but in every democratic nation.
*Editor’s Note: The House voted to impeach Trump again on Jan. 13.
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