Let the Indictments Begin

 The United States Senate voted 43 to 57 to convict Trump, which means he was acquitted because of the requirement of a two thirds vote to convict in impeachment trials. At least some of the Republicans who voted in Trump's favor have said they did so because they don't believe a president should be tried for impeachment after he has left office. There have been cases of impeachment trials taking place after a resignation, so history has allowed such trials. The argument that the Senate doesn't have jurisdiction seems rather a stretch, since Trump was impeached while president, and the Constitution clearly states that the Senate has jurisdiction for all impeachment trials.

I did read one argument that an impeachment trial of a president in moot once the president is out of office because the Constitution says the penalty for impeachment "shall be" removal from office. I have also read that most scholars of the constitution believe the senators are wrong to say that an impeachment trial after a president is out of office is unconstitutional. I tend to agree with those ideas, but I don't think it's something that is likely to come up again. Trump is an anomaly in American politics, and his kind will fade. A majority of Americans will be skeptical of candidates like him for generations.

I am encouraged by the legal proceedings that have been started, investigating Trump and his attempts to subvert the election in Georgia and perhaps other places. I would like to see him investigated for his felony violations of campaign finance laws in 2016, involving his affairs with strippers, and in 2020 involving the president of the Ukraine. I look forward to seeing reports on the investigations of fraud in New York. I hope Congress will take to heart the admonitions of Senator Sasse, and start taking responsibility for governance, as the Constitution requires. Yes, I want Congress to do its job, even if that makes it harder for President Biden to make progress on his agenda. After all, the rules on immigration are supposed to be set by statute, not executive order. Many of Biden's orders should be enshrined in statute.

I also look forward to seeing many convictions for the insurrectionists who attacked the Capital. I hope they claim in court that Trump sent them, and are still convicted. Let the indictments begin.