Wale Olutade

he United States’ Congress finally did what was long anticipated, by a vote of 230 – 197 and 229 – 198 (strictly along party lines), it impeached the 45th US President Donald J. Trump, on the two articles of impeachment levelled by the US Judiciary committee, becoming only the third to be so accorded the dubious distinction. The others in the hall of infamy being the 17th and 42nd Presidents, Andrew Johnson and William J. Clinton. The 37th US President, Richard M. Nixon, resigned before he was impeached by Congress once it became certain his impeachment and eventual conviction or removal from office by the Senate was a forgone conclusion. That was then, and this is now.

The two articles of impeachment are; abuse of power and obstruction of congress. What were Trump’s alleged impeachable offenses? That he propositioned a foreign nation, Ukraine (and previously China, Russia, etc) to meddle in US elections. That he attempted to ‘shake down’ Ukraine, a nation engaged in a bloody conflict with its Russian neighbors, by conditioning congressionally approved military aid of $400m to the Ukraine president’s announcement of a false investigation into former V.P. Joe Biden, Trumps leading presidential challenger in the 2020 US elections.

Now, I am not a fan of Donald Trump. Scratch that please. In fact, to be quite candid, I think I dislike the man comprehensively. And believe me when I say I am being extremely diplomatic with my words. So why is this impeachment important? After all, as it is almost certain that he will be acquitted at the Senate trials, meaning he will remain in office to continue in his barbaric ways and perhaps, win re-election next November.

There are many reasons, but I’ll give just four in this piece. I know the story of his disastrous presidency is a tale of many moving parts, so this piece is one in several to come in the months and years ahead. To be fair, no US president is perfect, as none of us human beings can be. Barack Obama was