In the end everything went very quickly. The vote lasted only a few minutes, then US President Donald Trump had the impeachment process behind, The republican he was acquitted in the Senate; only Mitt Romney gave out and, together with the Democrats, voted against the president on allegations of abuse of power. They moved for months Ukraine affair and the impeachment process the nation. There are six lessons from the debacle.
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Trump’s abuse of power is legitimized
The “Imperial Presidency”, the power of the US President, has been around before Trump often discussed and complained. But this scenario would have been unthinkable until a few years ago: Now there is a head of state who can do practically anything he wants. Trump is pulling into the election campaign with power that could outlast his tenure. His lawyer Alan Dershowitz argued that he had free rein as long as his actions served his re-election and were therefore “in the public interest”. With this blank check, Trump may become even more extreme. “He’ll feel empowered,” writes Harvard historian Heather Cox Richardson, who fears that Trump will now “cheat” in the upcoming elections with impunity. Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank goes even further: Trump could freeze disliked media, ignore court rulings, maybe even cancel the election “if he thinks his second term is in the public interest.”
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2. The people have to decide on Trump
The impeachment of the president is a serious process. The Senate, a body made up of just 100 senators, effectively annulled millions of Americans from voting. That is why the constitutional fathers have installed a particularly high hurdle: two thirds of the senators must vote to be impeached. In Trump’s case, there was no majority. The Senate is putting the decision about Trump’s political future in the hands of the citizens: The presidential election is on November 3. Letting the people decide is certainly not wrong. After the Ukraine and Russia affairs, the question arises more than ever whether elections in the USA are really fair. Both cases show that Trump himself obviously likes to trick and has helpers, for example Russia.
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3. Trump has a firm grip on the Republicans
No wobbling, no wavering: Almost all Senate Republicans voted against the questioning of new witnesses in the impeachment procedure last week in order to get the matter over with quickly. All 53 senators have now cleared Trump of accusation of obstructing Congress and 52 of allegations of abuse of power. Only Romney refused in the last case and will certainly have to pay bitterly for it. The Trump camp is already beginning to brand him as a traitor. The impeachment drama shows once again: Trump has a firm grip on his party, Many members and officials worship him and follow him blindly like a cult leader, others are followers who look at their careers. And for those who are critical of the President’s actions, there was a convenient way out. Trump’s behavior in the Ukraine affair is “inappropriate” but does not justify his impeachment, said Senator Lamar Alexander, who spoke for many of his colleagues. Obviously someone was trying to calm his guilty conscience.
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4. Parts of the affair have not been resolved
Trump’s role in the Ukraine affair is well documented, but the picture is still not complete. It would have been important in terms of democratic transparency to interview former security advisor John Bolton, The Senate has failed in its role as a supervisory authority: the Republicans’ refusal to hear new witnesses like Bolton makes it difficult to fully clarify. Bolton may now be giving interviews on his knowledge soon, and will publish his announced revelation book in March. Parts of the book are already coming to light in drops. However, the White House is still trying to silence Bolton with reference to confidentiality. Trump’s government has also so far refused to make documents related to the events public. It will likely only be known in a few years’ time when Trump is no longer in office.
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5. The Democrats lack a prescription against Trump
This is a bitter defeat for the Democrats. At the same time, they see themselves as moral winners because they have at least attempted to accuse Trump of the offenses. They are betting that the revelations in the Ukraine affair will have a medium to long-term effect. They are said to harm Trump so much that rather moderate voters turn away from him in horror on November 3. And: the basis of Democrats is said to be so outraged by Trump that she flocks to the ballot boxes to punish him. But that’s not more than vague hopes at the moment. It will be crucial for the Democrats whether they find a candidate who can beat Trump. Is that Joe Biden? Bernie Sanders? Pete Buttigieg? Or Elizabeth Warren? The first area codes in Iowa have shown that the party is divided on this issue. It remains to be seen whether the Democrats will become a single, strong political struggle this election year.
6. The country remains divided
The country will not agree on Donald Trump’s assessment. While one half damn him, the other half stands by him. This deep rift was documented not only by surveys, but also by all votes in Congress on impeachment. It was almost always a matter of partial decisions, with minimal fluctuations in one direction or the other. So also with the final judgment. This suggests that the next choice along this fault line will also be decided. Trump, as president, would actually have a duty to reconcile the country with itself. He never fulfilled this duty. Even his recent speech on the state of the nation shows that he is not even trying to really involve the other side.
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