Impeach Trump, but limit future presidents too

Both the polls and the prediction markets suggest that in the upcoming midterm elections, Democrats will regain the majority in the House of Representatives if not in the Senate as well.

At that point, Democrats will face the question of whether to impeach President Trump once again. Not only should Trump be impeached to hold him accountable for his abuses of power, but Congress also must curb presidential power before another president follows Trump’s lead. 

No president has ignored the rule of law as much as Trump. His administration has disregarded court orders, closed departments without congressional approval, engaged in aggressive and illegal immigration enforcement tactics, withheld funds legally authorized by Congress, imposed tariffs unlawfully, and, most recently, waged a war without congressional consent or even notification. No president in our history deserves impeachment and removal from office more than Trump.

Admittedly, even if impeached, Trump will not be removed from office. Even though some Senate Republicans will support removal in a Senate trial, as happened in the past, the likelihood that the two-thirds majority will be achieved is slim. Nevertheless, both the House and the Senate should send the message that presidents cannot act as Trump has without consequences.

But the Congress needs to go further. Powers granted to the executive need to be curtailed to avoid a repetition of the........

© The Hill