Ocasio-Cortez says impeaching Trump is a ‘no-brainer’

Ocasio-Cortez says impeaching Trump is a ‘no-brainer’
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Image: Twitter video screen grab)

Caravan migrants are “refugees” with a “legal right” to asylum in the United States and in any case the term asylum is racist. The Allied defeat of the Nazis is a blueprint for defeating global warming. Mass incarceration of lawbreakers traces its roots back to slavery and Jim Crow.

These are just a few of the gems of political wisdom that have emanated from the lips of Democratic socialist candidate for Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Considering her track record to date, she might be a little more circumspect in her use of idioms. Such as “no-brainer,” which she used to describe the impeachment of Donald Trump, which she naturally favors.

Ocasio-Cortez, who if elected will become the youngest currently serving member of the House, was a guest on “Real America with Jorge Ramos” last Thursday. When the Univision anchor ask whether she would support a measure to impeach once in Congress, she replied:

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?

I mean, yeah. To me, it’s a no-brainer. Well, I believe that he has violated the law. Violated potentially many laws, whether it’s the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution because he keeps his businesses open that foreign actors kind of participate in financial transactions with. Whether it’s what we are seeing with potentially illegal buyouts of campaign, you know, FEC violations of women that he is trying to silence.

Yet, as her likely future colleague, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) acknowledged back in August, “the president is not likely to be indicted, which means he’s not likely to be found guilty of a crime while he’s sitting.” Granted, Green said this in the same breath i which he said that “the president does not have to commit a crime to be impeached” — that all that was necessary to bring articles of impeachment was to demonstrated that he had “harmed society” — but in this first regard, he is correct. As political scientist Jacob Neiheisel explains at The Conversation:

Treason [one of the three offenses that is grounds for impeachment] is notoriously difficult to prove. For example, Aaron Burr – a former vice president – was caught stockpiling supplies and gathering a force to take over some of the lands that would eventually be obtained through the Louisiana Purchase. And yet, he still wasn’t convicted of treason.

As for the other two offenses — “high crimes” and “misdemeanors” — Neiheisel submits that these have “always been open to interpretation, but it is clear that partisan politics plays a role.”

Which brings us to the next step in the process:

Next comes a vote in the full House, with only a simple majority required.

If the House votes to impeach, the case is referred to the Senate for trial.

But the likelihood of the Democrats taking control of the Senate are slim — as low as 30%, according to FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver.

When all is said and done, you can’t vote to remove a president from office merely because you don’t like him as a person. It was probably an awareness of that reality that helped Barack Obama sleep well at night.

LU Staff

LU Staff

Promoting and defending liberty, as defined by the nation’s founders, requires both facts and philosophical thought, transcending all elements of our culture, from partisan politics to social issues, the workings of government, and entertainment and off-duty interests. Liberty Unyielding is committed to bringing together voices that will fuel the flame of liberty, with a dialogue that is lively and informative.

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