People take notice, you are part of a set of historical events no one could or would have predicted. The historical circumstances I’m referring to are the kind that put the country in a bad light.
First, open insurrection instigated by a sitting president. Which is a violation of the oath he took, “to preserve and protect against all enemies foreign or domestic.”
Second, the impeachment of Trump** for a second time. Evidently, not satisfied with just one, he wanted to be better than those impeached before him and go for two.
Andrew Johnson was impeached for: Violating the Tenure of Office Act by attempting to replace Edwin M. Stanton, the Secretary of War, while Congress was not in session and other abuses of presidential power.
Bill Clintonwas impeached for: Perjury, for lying about having an affair with Monica Lewinsky. In reality, it was receiving fellatio in the oval office. (just trying to keep it clean, friends)
Donald J. Trump** In 2020 he was impeached for: Abuse of power; and Obstruction of Congress. This year 2021, Incitement of Insurrection.
Along with the dubious distinction of being the only president twice impeached, he has a strong chance of being the first president to be convicted for threatening the integrity of the democratic system, interfering with the peaceful transition of power imperiling a coequal branch of government. In other words, INSURRECTION!
He might just get the prize he covets, Time’s Person of The Year, for being the first-ever president convicted of insurrection.
I have often used this passage from Federalist 1
the perverted ambition of another class of men, who will either hope to aggrandize themselves by the confusions of their country or will flatter themselves with fairer prospects of elevation from the subdivision of the empire into several partial confederacies than from its union under one government.
To highlight, as our form of governance was evolving, the Founders realized the danger back then. Hamilton understood the avarice and ambition of men, who would seek out the flaws of representative democracy to advance and enrich themselves.
Hamilton may have well understood the nature of a man’s greed and ambition; he, like the other founders, believed that whoever was elected as president would do the right thing by the country. They were mostly right, as evidenced by the fact that only three men have actually been impeached in the country’s 240-year history.
If we considered Johnson and Clinton’s impeachments as more about political retribution. But, Trump’s** two impeachments are what the framers had in mind when they crafted the Constitution’s impeachment construct. Hamilton also wrote the following,
Trump** indeed, is a wannabe despot. His reelection would have taken us down the pathway of authoritarianism. It is a form of government that you don’t want regardless of certain people’s claims and actions who seem to advocate for just that. Last week’s events were a prelude to what the rabid Trump** followers want. To overturn this republic’s liberties and put the country on the pathway of authoritarianism.
A dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the forbidden appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of government. History will teach us that the former has been found a much more certain road to the introduction of despotism than the latter, and that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants.
We are in for some challenging times. Hopefully, not where people who lose their life. But, with the Trump** fanatics, it remains to be seen.