How Important Is Accountability to You?

A Saturday Prompt

(Photo by Monika Gruszewicz via Getty Images)

Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution states, “The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Twice before, Donald J. Trump was impeached by the U.S. Congress, first for abuses of power and obstruction of Congress after he sought foreign interference in the 2020 election, and then for incitement of insurrection for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Yet, as we know painfully well, in both cases he was not convicted by the Senate, enabling him to stay in power and run for public office again.

Those impeachment hearings were conducted prior to Chief Justice John Roberts and his Supreme Court supermajority granting Trump near-total immunity as president for “official acts.” In the last ten months since Trump was inaugurated for a second term, he has exploited that unfettered status with near-total abandon, seemingly unconcerned about being held accountable for trampling the Constitution and repeatedly violating the rule of law.

Nor has he acted alone in his pursuit of a lawless agenda and wide-ranging abuses of power. These include (but are not limited to) gutting the federal government, demanding revenge prosecutions, engaging in extrajudicial killings in international waters, extorting law firms and universities, attempting to turn the U.S. military against American citizens, and empowering masked and abusive federal ICE and border agents to grab people off our streets without due process.

In addition to the Epstein files obstruction, this week Trump added to his abuse by inciting violence against six Democratic lawmakers who urged members of the military in a short video to refuse illegal orders; he called their actions “seditious behavior” that is “punishable by death” and urged their arrest. Unsurprisingly, these senators and representatives have faced a deluge of violent threats, causing them to seek police investigation.

Recall that Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned us in her dissent of the 6-3 immunity ruling in July last year. “This new official-acts immunity now ‘lies about like a loaded weapon’ for any President that wishes to place his own interests, his own political survival, or his own financial gain, above the interests of the Nation,” she correctly stated, adding, “Let the President violate the law, let him exploit the trappings of his office for personal gain, let him use his official power for evil ends. Because if he knew that he may one day face liability for breaking the law, he might not be as bold and fearless as we would like him to be. That is the majority’s message today.”

But here we are, a year from the midterms and three years from the next presidential election. We are left to wonder what can be done and whether Trump and/or his arrogantly lawless sycophants, such as Attorney General Pam Bondi, will be held accountable for their actions.

Surely we need more mass protests and overwhelming voter turnout to reject Republicans in the midterms. Last month’s No Kings protest and the nationwide Democratic landslide that we saw on Nov. 4 must be only the beginning. Texas Rep. Al Green promised this week to file new articles of impeachment against Donald Trump before Congress’ Christmas break, an action that can only be symbolic as long as the Republicans control the House and the Senate.

But it’s not too soon to expect congressional Democrats to activate investigations, issue subpoenas and pursue impeachment if they retake the majority next year—and that they clearly state their intentions to do so in their campaigns. (Some have prioritized this now. Note, for example, California Rep. Julia Brownley’s discussion of litigation.)

So what do you think? How important is accountability to you? Do you want and expect Democrats running for office to clearly state their commitment to holding Trump and his regime accountable? Do you worry that doing so could distract from a central affordability message? Do you worry that calling for investigations and impeachment could galvanize Republicans and increase their turnout? Does that kind of political calculus matter when the country is confronted with a White House occupant who runs roughshod over our Constitution and the rule of law? Lastly, what violations do you think most demand criminal investigation?

As always, I look forward to reading your observations and the opportunity for this community to learn from each other. Please do be respectful in your remarks. Trolling will not be tolerated.

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