The Senate Should Censure Trump
It’s been done once before, against Andrew Jackson. Trump has disgraced the office of the presidency, so it’s time to do it again.
If you are sick of President Trump's crackpot tweets and libelous falsehoods, consider instead the small-d democratic possibilities inherent in his presidency. Yes, Trump's cabinet appointees have discretionary powers that can do grave damage to our society, not to mention the planet. Yes, by freakish happenstance, an unstable character with irresponsible impulses has been put in charge of the national government.
But Trump is not in charge of us. People all over know this and are putting themselves in motion. The ferment is about more than the marches and banners. People are beginning to see themselves as active agents in the legislative battles, entitled to be heard because they are citizens. Does that sound corny? Yes some of us are corny optimists.
"Resolved, that President Donald Trump, by deliberately and without any evidence accusing former president Barack Obama of criminal conduct, has disgraced his office, misled the American people, damaged the prestige of the nation, and endangered our national security." The Trump presidency has become an epic opportunity for small-d democratic revival and reform. Instead of passive spectators, people must push back hard and develop ways to become active participants in the legislative action. They can reclaim their voice and intrude on government decision-making, whether or not party professionals wish to hear from them. Both parties have become comfortable and complacent with a hollow democracy, in which half of the citizenry doesn't bother to vote.
He's misled the American people, damaged the prestige of the nation, and endangered our national security.
So how can the people talk back to Donald Trump? By proposing that the Senate adopt a resolution of censure officially denouncing Trump for his flagrantly fraudulent claims and, even worse, his unconstitutional behavior as president. The list of potential charges is robust. He and his family are blatantly in violation of the Constitution's emoluments clause, which prohibits presidents from drawing business benefits from foreign interests. Trump also routinely falsifies official reporting to his own administration. Think of official censure as the highbrow answer to Trump tweets.
A veteran government lawyer (and old friend) suggested this model for a censure resolution: "Resolved, that President Donald Trump, by deliberately and without any evidence accusing former president Barack Obama of criminal conduct, has disgraced his office, misled the American people, damaged the prestige of the nation, and endangered our national security."
If Republicans decide to block the resolution, they might be censured themselves in the next election.
Censure is not impeachment but merely an expression of disapproval by one's political peers. But the political debate, win or lose, could become a potent teaching opportunity for serious politicians and activists. If Republicans decide to block the resolution, they might be censured themselves in the next election.
Our narcissistic president would probably go nuts. He is obsessed with his critics and rightly feels vulnerable because of his own shallow ignorance of governing politics. Even if the censure vote fails, there will be numerous other issues to consider. Examining Trump's tenure issue by issue in this focused way should encourage the media to provide deeper understanding of how government actually works. People are smarter than the pundits realize.
People may ask: Why haven't we heard about the censure option before? Because the device was used once, then put aside, though never repealed. Only one US president was ever censured by Senate resolution--Andrew Jackson, in 1834. Jackson, as it happens, is a personal hero of Donald Trump; the president recently laid a wreath on Jackson's tomb in Nashville, Tennessee.
The two presidents share some of the same rough-hewn qualities and vile attitudes on race. Both were champions of the common folk (or pretended to be) and brutally indifferent to racial minorities. Both were contemptuous of judges and judicial power. When Chief Justice Marshall ruled against President Jackson's forced removal of the Cherokees from their homelands in 1830, Jackson sneered, "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it."
Sounds like something Trump might have said about Muslims. This is an odd historical symmetry--we can give it renewed meaning by making Trump, after Jackson, only the second US president to be formally censured by the Senate.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
If you are sick of President Trump's crackpot tweets and libelous falsehoods, consider instead the small-d democratic possibilities inherent in his presidency. Yes, Trump's cabinet appointees have discretionary powers that can do grave damage to our society, not to mention the planet. Yes, by freakish happenstance, an unstable character with irresponsible impulses has been put in charge of the national government.
But Trump is not in charge of us. People all over know this and are putting themselves in motion. The ferment is about more than the marches and banners. People are beginning to see themselves as active agents in the legislative battles, entitled to be heard because they are citizens. Does that sound corny? Yes some of us are corny optimists.
"Resolved, that President Donald Trump, by deliberately and without any evidence accusing former president Barack Obama of criminal conduct, has disgraced his office, misled the American people, damaged the prestige of the nation, and endangered our national security." The Trump presidency has become an epic opportunity for small-d democratic revival and reform. Instead of passive spectators, people must push back hard and develop ways to become active participants in the legislative action. They can reclaim their voice and intrude on government decision-making, whether or not party professionals wish to hear from them. Both parties have become comfortable and complacent with a hollow democracy, in which half of the citizenry doesn't bother to vote.
He's misled the American people, damaged the prestige of the nation, and endangered our national security.
So how can the people talk back to Donald Trump? By proposing that the Senate adopt a resolution of censure officially denouncing Trump for his flagrantly fraudulent claims and, even worse, his unconstitutional behavior as president. The list of potential charges is robust. He and his family are blatantly in violation of the Constitution's emoluments clause, which prohibits presidents from drawing business benefits from foreign interests. Trump also routinely falsifies official reporting to his own administration. Think of official censure as the highbrow answer to Trump tweets.
A veteran government lawyer (and old friend) suggested this model for a censure resolution: "Resolved, that President Donald Trump, by deliberately and without any evidence accusing former president Barack Obama of criminal conduct, has disgraced his office, misled the American people, damaged the prestige of the nation, and endangered our national security."
If Republicans decide to block the resolution, they might be censured themselves in the next election.
Censure is not impeachment but merely an expression of disapproval by one's political peers. But the political debate, win or lose, could become a potent teaching opportunity for serious politicians and activists. If Republicans decide to block the resolution, they might be censured themselves in the next election.
Our narcissistic president would probably go nuts. He is obsessed with his critics and rightly feels vulnerable because of his own shallow ignorance of governing politics. Even if the censure vote fails, there will be numerous other issues to consider. Examining Trump's tenure issue by issue in this focused way should encourage the media to provide deeper understanding of how government actually works. People are smarter than the pundits realize.
People may ask: Why haven't we heard about the censure option before? Because the device was used once, then put aside, though never repealed. Only one US president was ever censured by Senate resolution--Andrew Jackson, in 1834. Jackson, as it happens, is a personal hero of Donald Trump; the president recently laid a wreath on Jackson's tomb in Nashville, Tennessee.
The two presidents share some of the same rough-hewn qualities and vile attitudes on race. Both were champions of the common folk (or pretended to be) and brutally indifferent to racial minorities. Both were contemptuous of judges and judicial power. When Chief Justice Marshall ruled against President Jackson's forced removal of the Cherokees from their homelands in 1830, Jackson sneered, "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it."
Sounds like something Trump might have said about Muslims. This is an odd historical symmetry--we can give it renewed meaning by making Trump, after Jackson, only the second US president to be formally censured by the Senate.
If you are sick of President Trump's crackpot tweets and libelous falsehoods, consider instead the small-d democratic possibilities inherent in his presidency. Yes, Trump's cabinet appointees have discretionary powers that can do grave damage to our society, not to mention the planet. Yes, by freakish happenstance, an unstable character with irresponsible impulses has been put in charge of the national government.
But Trump is not in charge of us. People all over know this and are putting themselves in motion. The ferment is about more than the marches and banners. People are beginning to see themselves as active agents in the legislative battles, entitled to be heard because they are citizens. Does that sound corny? Yes some of us are corny optimists.
"Resolved, that President Donald Trump, by deliberately and without any evidence accusing former president Barack Obama of criminal conduct, has disgraced his office, misled the American people, damaged the prestige of the nation, and endangered our national security." The Trump presidency has become an epic opportunity for small-d democratic revival and reform. Instead of passive spectators, people must push back hard and develop ways to become active participants in the legislative action. They can reclaim their voice and intrude on government decision-making, whether or not party professionals wish to hear from them. Both parties have become comfortable and complacent with a hollow democracy, in which half of the citizenry doesn't bother to vote.
He's misled the American people, damaged the prestige of the nation, and endangered our national security.
So how can the people talk back to Donald Trump? By proposing that the Senate adopt a resolution of censure officially denouncing Trump for his flagrantly fraudulent claims and, even worse, his unconstitutional behavior as president. The list of potential charges is robust. He and his family are blatantly in violation of the Constitution's emoluments clause, which prohibits presidents from drawing business benefits from foreign interests. Trump also routinely falsifies official reporting to his own administration. Think of official censure as the highbrow answer to Trump tweets.
A veteran government lawyer (and old friend) suggested this model for a censure resolution: "Resolved, that President Donald Trump, by deliberately and without any evidence accusing former president Barack Obama of criminal conduct, has disgraced his office, misled the American people, damaged the prestige of the nation, and endangered our national security."
If Republicans decide to block the resolution, they might be censured themselves in the next election.
Censure is not impeachment but merely an expression of disapproval by one's political peers. But the political debate, win or lose, could become a potent teaching opportunity for serious politicians and activists. If Republicans decide to block the resolution, they might be censured themselves in the next election.
Our narcissistic president would probably go nuts. He is obsessed with his critics and rightly feels vulnerable because of his own shallow ignorance of governing politics. Even if the censure vote fails, there will be numerous other issues to consider. Examining Trump's tenure issue by issue in this focused way should encourage the media to provide deeper understanding of how government actually works. People are smarter than the pundits realize.
People may ask: Why haven't we heard about the censure option before? Because the device was used once, then put aside, though never repealed. Only one US president was ever censured by Senate resolution--Andrew Jackson, in 1834. Jackson, as it happens, is a personal hero of Donald Trump; the president recently laid a wreath on Jackson's tomb in Nashville, Tennessee.
The two presidents share some of the same rough-hewn qualities and vile attitudes on race. Both were champions of the common folk (or pretended to be) and brutally indifferent to racial minorities. Both were contemptuous of judges and judicial power. When Chief Justice Marshall ruled against President Jackson's forced removal of the Cherokees from their homelands in 1830, Jackson sneered, "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it."
Sounds like something Trump might have said about Muslims. This is an odd historical symmetry--we can give it renewed meaning by making Trump, after Jackson, only the second US president to be formally censured by the Senate.