Students and teachers react to second impeachment of Trump

Former president Donald Trump will be facing his second impeachment charge upcoming next month. Democrats believe their reasons to move forward with this impeachment are because of the destruction seen at the United States Capitol after a violent riot where Trump supporters invaded on Jan. 6. Those supporting impeachment assert that Trump encouraged these events. Five people were left dead, including 42-year-old U.S. capitol police officer Brian Sicknick.

Within the next few weeks Trump’s fate lies in the hands of the Senate, as the House has already impeached Trump for the second time. If convicted in the Senate, Trump will be banned from ever holding public office again in the United States. The Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell has pushed back the date of the impeachment trial in order to give Trump time to prepare. Trump’s trial will begin Feb. 8. 

The United States has been split on their political views, and many see the results of the legitimacy recent presidential election through those views, though no evidence has been found to call that election into question. This has led to mixed opinions on President Trump’s possible second impeachment. 

In regards to the process of impeachment, Peet Junior High’s U.S. history teacher Colby Grothoff said, “Impeachment is often misportrayed by many. I feel that many think Impeachment fully means that one is removed from office. Technically, it refers to the act of filing formal charges on someone. The process is quite complex, really. The House of Representatives will hold a vote to pass ‘articles’ of impeachment against a public official. Following the hearing and then a vote, it goes to our Senate. It takes a 2/3 simple majority to convict in the Senate to be removed from office. There are certain instances where some can be removed permanently from office after being impeached, but that is not always the case actually. All in all, not just anyone can be impeached. They have to have been believed to actually commit a crime, not because they are unliked. Then. … the hearing process begins in the Lower House, followed by a vote for a 2/3 majority to pass or vote against the articles of Impeachment in the Upper House.” 

Democrat eighth grader Ava Powers said she believes that the second impeachment of Trump is a good decision for our country. “I believe that the actions being taken against Trump are justified considering the events that happened at the capitol and him encouraging them. I think it would be a mistake not to impeach Trump again because it would be showing U.S. citizens that the president encouraging terrorism is OK,” Powers said. 

Republican Freshman Maya Johnson said, “Even though my political stances align with supporting Donald Trump, I do not think he was a good leader for our country. However, I don’t think it’s necessary to impeach him a second time when he’s already out of office, but I do understand why it is happening.” 

The biggest debate on Trump’s potential impeachment is whether or not it will divide or unify the United States. Especially because of Biden’s recent inauguration as president. Grothoff suggests that the country has already been “divided” and does not believe that more division in the country will happen. “As a social studies teacher, I tend to not provide my personal opinion on political or social matters. What I will say is that if President Trump is impeached, I think there will most certainly be uproar. Divided? I do not think there will be any more additional divide in our voters. As mentioned earlier, many people do not understand the Impeachment process. If a crime is committed, then time is served, as one may say. Protesting would be something that most certainly could occur, as it is a right granted in our First Amendment in our U.S. Constitution; peacefully, that is. Divide is a tricky and complex word. Our legislatures are currently divided … most would agree. However, hearings in the court of law generally allow the interpretation of the Constitution to be the ‘say all’ in most instances. All in all, I do not fully feel that more divide will ensue,” Grothoff said.