By Alexis Coore '20
The United States has only seen a president impeached twice, with Andrew Johnson (1868) and Bill Clinton (2001). As of September 24, 2019, the Democrats have been working towards a third. Donald John Trump, the 45th U.S. President, has made many controversial decisions since being sworn into office in 2017. This would include the installment of questionable travel bans and the elimination of a regulation that would ensure all teachers would be fully qualified to teach before stepping into the classroom. While none of his past deeds have been impeachable, his latest one is.
On July 25, 2019, President Trump made a phone call to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. In it, President Trump urged Ukraine to begin investigating the Former Vice President Joe Biden as well as his son, Hunter Biden. Biden is currently one of President Trump’s main competitors for the 2020 presidential election. According to a Ukranian official, the investigation was meant to be centered around a conspiracy theory about the country’s meddling in the 2016 presidential elections. This is not the only known case of President Trump calling for an investigation of the Bidens. On October 3, he publicly called for both China and Ukraine to investigate the pair.
After the events, the first official whistleblower complaint was filed on August 12, 2019. A second one came to light on October 6 of the same year. Though to some this may not seem like an impeachable offense, Federal Electoral Commission chair Ellen Weintraub noted that “it is illegal for any person to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a U.S. election.” On top of that, many believe that in order to pressure Ukraine into complying, President Trump withheld a $400 million military aid package. The idea came from the official transcript of the call, and the idea of withholding the aid is up to interpretation.
Though the Democrats feel they have sound grounds for impeachment, they also fear it may backfire. If they fail, the voters may gain a renewed zeal for President Trump, and this may help him in the 2020 elections. This is their most significant concern and is the main reason they had not sought impeachment in the past. However, many other factors may sway the votes against President Trump in the upcoming elections.
While President Trump has amended his statements concerning Latinxs, his 2015 remarks about Mexican immigrants are still resonating within the hearts of the community. In said remarks, President Trump stated that “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” The 2020 election will bring about the maturation age of more eligible Latinx voters than any other presidential election before. This, coupled with the fact that Trump is losing his rural backing because bankruptcies amongst farmers have risen by 24%, could prove to be extremely detrimental to his next presidential election, even if the impeachment helps boost his popularity.
But the Hispanic population isn’t the only one becoming eligible to vote. In the 2016 elections, Generations X and Y cast 48% of the votes. Generation Z, the generation all current Dunellen High School students belong to, only made up about two percent of these votes, according to the Chegg’ State of the Students’ report. This is because, at the time of the election, the oldest Gen Z’er was only 21 years old. Only three years’ worth of people were even eligible to vote. But now, the group has gained an extra four years’ worth of people, including the DHS Class of 2020. And the seniors are ready to let their voices be heard.
It may seem as though Gen Z is ignorant of politics, but DHS seniors Erin Barnett and Kristina Moncelsi are just the opposite. “It’s the country that you live in, and you don’t want to be living in a country that you disagree with. If you want your ideas to be heard, then you should vote,” says Ms. Moncelsi. Both women feel that it is imperative for young people to stay up to date on the politics of one’s country, and both had a few things to say about the impeachment.
To begin, neither believe the impeachment process should move forward. “I think its a waste of time to keep going on with it. It’s just been going back and forth, and it’s taking people away from their jobs because they are pulling people away from the Senate and the house as witnesses,” says Ms. Moncelsi.
To a similar degree, Ms. Barnett states that “I don’t think there’s enough grounds to impeach him, to begin with, it’s almost in their best interests to say what they need to say but not pursue it.” With this, Ms. Barnett was accounting for the fact that the 2020 elections are just around the corner. She believes that instead of following through with the impeachment, it would be more beneficial for Democrats to focus on making sure President Trump is not reelected. Nonetheless, as of December 5, the House Judiciary Committee has officially decided to begin drafting the articles of impeachment.
Though they are against the impeachment, neither wholeheartedly approve of President Trump. “I know economically we have been doing better; socially, we have been hurting because of the strong opinions towards him. Socially it’s worse because we are starting to divide as a country,” Ms. Barnett states. And it is true. According to the British Broadcasting Company, also known as BBC, the U.S. economy has grown by 3.1% under President Trump. Though it has slowed, there is still an overall positive effect. But when it comes to the citizens, there is a severe disconnect.
President Trump’s average approval rating so far has been 40%; the average approval rating for a U.S. President is 53%. As of this November, 43% of voters approve of President Trump, 54% disapprove, and the remaining 3% are unsure. Many argue that he has been one of the most polarizing presidents up to date, and no one seems to be budging on their stance.
Whether the impeachment passes or fails, President Trump will still be eligible to run in the next election. If the citizens would like to see him reelected, or if they would like to see another candidate elected, then they must become registered voters. Ms. Moncelsi has registered, and Ms. Barnett plans to do the same. One must be a United States citizen, over the age of 17, and must have lived in their county for 30 days. Dunellen residents must fill out a Middlesex County voter registration form, which must then be mailed to the county commissioner. For some students, politics may not seem important right now, but it will in four years when the effects of the choices made by elected officials are felt. The time between now and the next election will be a critical year for the voters to decide whether or not they want control of their futures.
