The president has been impeached. Whether he will be convicted by the U.S. Senate is in question. It is eminently clear that he should be. The only thing that stands in the way of that conviction is the stubborn and unpatriotic refusal of Republicans, and in particular, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to act now to begin to repair the damage that four years of enabling a man who has repeatedly demonstrated how unfit he is for the office to which he was elevated. That elevation and the complicity of his enablers have now put this democracy in peril and resulted in deaths and violence that could have been averted.
The arguments against conviction are not without merit. There is legitimate concern that a Senate focus on conviction will complicate and detract from President-elect Joe Biden’s important start to his presidency. Legitimate, too, is the concern that many in President Donald Trump’s base will be further motivated to view him as a “martyr” and will make it increasingly hard to restore order in America. Few would disagree that we all covet a genuine period of calm and peaceful reconciliation.
But, history is rife with examples of what coddling autocratic and violent behavior yields in the long run. Appeasement may provide short-term calm — though judging by the threats of violence on Inauguration Day, even that is not assured. The longer-term needs of the country and the health of our democracy remain at grave risk if the underlying causes of conflict are ignored.
President Trump and his cadre of sycophants have left no doubt about their willingness to do most anything to advance their interests. All the reasonable statements about now wishing to restore civility cannot ignore their demonstrated, well-established, anti-democratic actions. They can indeed demonstrate unity and make some amends by unifying around the impeachment and removal of this dangerous president, who has brought such disrepute to America around the world.
RELATED
>> Column: View fascism as rapid action through time, fueled by a charismatic but self-interested leader
>> Column: Far-fetched civil war scenario not so unimaginable now; Hawaii should start planning
The assault on the U.S. Capitol must be met with consequential actions toward the person who started it, and then, those who chose to heed his arousing and fake rhetoric. This includes those who violently assaulted the Capitol. This includes the members of the House (a third) and eight members of the Senate who continued to challenge the legitimacy of President-elect Biden’s clear victory.
Trump is right when he says we need leaders who are strong. But if that strength is to advance the needs of a democratic society, it must be built upon a foundation of integrity. It is precisely that foundation, which says that now is the time to convict President Trump in the Senate and then prevent him from ever again holding public office.
A healthy dual-party system is essential in America and its rebuilding starts now by separating fact from fiction and taking quick action against those who lead undemocratic challenges. Such a demonstration of “legitimate strength” will resonate widely as a first step toward meting out appropriate consequences to his cowardly accomplices in this assault on democracy.
It may also help begin to restore the faith of the rest of the world in America and its commitment to democratic principles.
We have a great deal of repair and rebuilding ahead of us under President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. And, as Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said, the new administration must “deliver” or risk losing the faith of voters who exhibited great courage in braving the pandemic to elect them into office. The Biden administration needs to respond with equal courage.
John Webster, once a Republican, is a former government affairs executive at IBM and KPMG.
