The Massachusetts city of Brookline has became the tenth community in the US to call for the impeachment of Donald Trump.
A resolution, introduced by residents Lisa Kolarik and Alexandra Borns-Weil, recently passed the city's council.
It enables Brookline, with a population of approximately 60,000, to ask members of Congress in Washington to look into the impeachment process and support a legal investigation.
A resolution, introduced by residents Lisa Kolarik and Alexandra Borns-Weil, recently passed the city's council.
It enables Brookline, with a population of approximately 60,000, to ask members of Congress in Washington to look into the impeachment process and support a legal investigation.
[FONT="]Cambridge, Amherst, Pelham and Leverett are the other cities in Massachusetts, a reliably Democratic state in presidential elections, to pass similar resolutions.
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[FONT="]They join Los Angeles, Berkeley, Richmond, and Alameda in California.
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[FONT="]At least 32 members of the Chicago City Council have also supported an impeachment investigation resolution, but it is still in the process of being brought to a vote.
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[FONT="]They join Los Angeles, Berkeley, Richmond, and Alameda in California.
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[FONT="]At least 32 members of the Chicago City Council have also supported an impeachment investigation resolution, but it is still in the process of being brought to a vote.
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For some, like Chicago Alderman Ameya Pawar, the last straw was Mr Trump’s firing of former FBI Director James Comey.
“Donald Trump is a racist, a bigot, and a misogynist, and he is attempting to enact policies around his beliefs. But that’s not why I introduced the resolution…[he] continues to obstruct the investigation into Russian influence over his administration, in his business dealings, and the alleged collusion during the 2016 election,” Mr Pawar told Politico.
However, local governments cannot initiate the legal process towards impeachment. That power lies solely with the House of Representatives in Washington.
Ron Fein is the Legal Director of Free Speech For People, the non-profit organisation behind impeachdonaldtrumpnow.org and an advocacy group for protecting the US Constitution.
Mr Fein told The Independent that the effect of these local governments taking action sends a “powerful signal” for what “constituents demand” in House members’ home districts.
With an election coming up in 2018, the effect could be profound in districts where there are tight races not just between opposing parties, but between Republican candidates as well as the president’s party exhibits some divisions in Congress.
Some politicians, mostly Republicans, have said the calls for impeachment are an example of putting party before the good of the country given that campaigning for 2018 has begun.
“Donald Trump is a racist, a bigot, and a misogynist, and he is attempting to enact policies around his beliefs. But that’s not why I introduced the resolution…[he] continues to obstruct the investigation into Russian influence over his administration, in his business dealings, and the alleged collusion during the 2016 election,” Mr Pawar told Politico.
However, local governments cannot initiate the legal process towards impeachment. That power lies solely with the House of Representatives in Washington.
Ron Fein is the Legal Director of Free Speech For People, the non-profit organisation behind impeachdonaldtrumpnow.org and an advocacy group for protecting the US Constitution.
Mr Fein told The Independent that the effect of these local governments taking action sends a “powerful signal” for what “constituents demand” in House members’ home districts.
With an election coming up in 2018, the effect could be profound in districts where there are tight races not just between opposing parties, but between Republican candidates as well as the president’s party exhibits some divisions in Congress.
Some politicians, mostly Republicans, have said the calls for impeachment are an example of putting party before the good of the country given that campaigning for 2018 has begun.
[FONT="]Mr Pawar is running for governor of Illinois and all the local governments who have passed impeachment resolutions are in solidly Democratic districts and states.
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[FONT="]However, Mr Fein said the “impeachment campaign is a non-partisan call to action for serious violations of the Constitution by the president. Members of Congress need to set aside partisan differences, put country before party, and hold the president to account for his actions.“
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[FONT="]“These local resolutions are just the start of a national wave,” Mr Fein said.
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[FONT="]However, Mr Fein said the “impeachment campaign is a non-partisan call to action for serious violations of the Constitution by the president. Members of Congress need to set aside partisan differences, put country before party, and hold the president to account for his actions.“
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[FONT="]“These local resolutions are just the start of a national wave,” Mr Fein said.
What does history tell us?
History books show impeachment is far from straightfoward. There have been two presidents who have been impeached in the past and neither were removed from office.
Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868 CREDIT: AP
Andrew Johnson was the first leader to go through the process in 1868. He was charged with breaking the law after he tried to replace the US secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, without congressional permission. At the time - in the aftermath of the civil war - the president was required to consult the senate about such decisions. His impeachment passed to the Senate, where he escaped being removed from office by a one-vote margin.
The other president was, of course, Bill Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice in 1998, but he was acquitted in the Senate trial.
Bill Clinton was impeached over the Monica Lewinsky scandal CREDIT: AP
Richard Nixon would almost certainly have faced impeachments proceedings in 1974 over the Watergate scandal and undoubtedly would have been removed from office. However, the disgraced president resigned before it got that far and he handed the presidency over to Gerald Ford.
History books show impeachment is far from straightfoward. There have been two presidents who have been impeached in the past and neither were removed from office.
Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868 CREDIT: AP
Andrew Johnson was the first leader to go through the process in 1868. He was charged with breaking the law after he tried to replace the US secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, without congressional permission. At the time - in the aftermath of the civil war - the president was required to consult the senate about such decisions. His impeachment passed to the Senate, where he escaped being removed from office by a one-vote margin.
The other president was, of course, Bill Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice in 1998, but he was acquitted in the Senate trial.
Bill Clinton was impeached over the Monica Lewinsky scandal CREDIT: AP
Richard Nixon would almost certainly have faced impeachments proceedings in 1974 over the Watergate scandal and undoubtedly would have been removed from office. However, the disgraced president resigned before it got that far and he handed the presidency over to Gerald Ford.
First, a majority in the House of Representatives - 218 out of 435 members - must approve articles of impeachment previously approved in committee.
Consequently, the current make-up of the House favours Mr Trump. As it stands, Republicans hold 238 seats while Democrats hold 193. (Four seats are vacant.) That means 25 Republicans would need to be persuaded to vote to impeach Mr Trump, which seems an unlikely scenario.
Then it goes to the Senate, where a two-thirds majority vote is needed to convict the president and consequently remove him from office - even getting the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster is difficult for either party these days.
Consequently, the current make-up of the House favours Mr Trump. As it stands, Republicans hold 238 seats while Democrats hold 193. (Four seats are vacant.) That means 25 Republicans would need to be persuaded to vote to impeach Mr Trump, which seems an unlikely scenario.
Then it goes to the Senate, where a two-thirds majority vote is needed to convict the president and consequently remove him from office - even getting the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster is difficult for either party these days.
More proof, they're assholes, they're idiots, they're genetically inferior
They're obviously missing genes that give us common sense and / or integrity
We need a pill people, we need to find a cure
They're obviously missing genes that give us common sense and / or integrity
We need a pill people, we need to find a cure
[h=1]Support for impeaching Trump is UP - but it's still less than the number who say Congress should leave Trump alone, new poll finds[/h]
- The percentage of Americans who want to see President Trump impeached has risen to 43 per cent, up 5 points from last week
- The Morning Consult poll showed that half of the pro-impeachment want to see Trump impeached even if he didn't commit an impeachable offense
- 45 per cent don't want Congress to impeach Trump
- A small number of congressional Democrats have called for Trump's impeachment, as an FBI investigation led by a special counsel probes Russian election interference
