While managing such busy college schedules, it can be hard to find time to keep up with what’s happening in politics, especially when the news is as complicated as the impeachment trial and the 2020 presidential campaign. In between statistics modules or studying for a physics exam, the various rules of the impeachment trial or the many platforms of presidential candidates may not seem too important.
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No matter how unimportant politics may seem in the moment, the decisions made by the government impact our lives directly.
When asked how often she reads the news, Hannah Fechceo, a 20-year-old public health and statistics junior, said, “[I read the news] probably five times a week. I really try to read articles every day.”
With that being said, here’s a guide to what you need to know about the impeachment trial and the 2020 candidates for president.
The Impeachment Trial: What does it mean to be impeached, and how does the impeachment trial work?
Impeachment is a two-step process that involves both houses of Congress. If the House of Representatives accuses and then charges a government official with a crime, the Senate then holds an impeachment trial. The impeachment trial decides whether or not the official, or in this case President Donald Trump, will be removed from office. In order for the Senate to convict the president, two-thirds of the Senate need to vote in favor of this action. While President Trump could be removed from office, unless the Senate explicitly forbids it, he could still continue to run in the 2020 presidential election.
On January 21, 2020, the impeachment trial officially began. During the trial, senators act as jurors that will decide whether or not Trump should be removed from office while Chief Justice John Roberts presides over the trial. The trial takes place six days a week and lacks a definite end date. After the completion of the opening arguments from both the Democrats and Trump’s legal team, the senators can begin to question each side. From there, the Senate can either vote to allow both sides to call witnesses or to end the trial by voting on whether Trump should be convicted or acquitted of the charges against him.
Leah Rogers, a 19-year-old criminology freshman, said, “Impeachment means to be convicted of an overreach of power, but not necessarily being removed from office. I know very generally that people believe that [President Trump] did overreach his power and that it has something to do with the Ukranian government, but I do not know the specifics.”
What has President Trump been charged with, and what major points have been made in the trial so far?
President Trump is accused of attempting to pressure Ukraine into investigating information about Joe Biden, who is a potential Democratic candidate for president, as well as his son, Hunter Biden. The allegations suggest that Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine and a meeting at the White House in order to try to obtain this information. Consequently, these accusations led to Trump being impeached by the House of Representatives for both abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
During the trial so far, Democrats delivered their opening statements on Jan. 22 through Jan. 24, with Trump’s legal team beginning their statements on Jan. 25 and continuing them through Jan. 28. In their statements, Democrats highlighted the threat Trump’s actions posed to national security, his abuse of power, and his obstruction of Congress.
Trump’s legal team, on the other hand, began their defense of the president during their opening statements. Within them, they claim that phone call’s transcript between Trump and Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky does not include any mention of a trade-off, that Ukraine was unaware of the hold on military aid, and Zelensky stated that he felt no pressure by the phone call.
Natalie Hayek, a 19-year-old English literature freshman, said, “Honestly, I am not really following the impeachment trial too much anymore, but I know that impeachment means Congress is saying that the president went against the Constitution or breached his power. The president can be impeached, but not taken out of office. It starts in the House and then to the Senate, so there’s a lot to get it done. I cannot remember why he [Trump] is getting impeached because I feel like they keep changing it. It started with Russia meddling in elections and then changed to a breach of protocol, and then to paying people off behind the scenes.”
The 2020 Presidential Campaign: Who is running for president anyway?
While Trump is currently the Republican candidate for President, there are 12 potential Democratic candidates in the running as well. The candidates include: Michael Bennet, Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg, John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Deval Patrick, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren and Andrew Yang.
While there are several Democratic candidates, many of their platforms revolve around similar issues. For example, Bennet, Biden, Buttigieg and Patrick all aim to improve either economic opportunity or economic protection in the country. For Bloomberg, Buttigieg, and Steyer, the issue of climate change is a major part of their platforms.
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In terms of health care, Delaney and Sanders hope to achieve universal health care throughout the country; while Klobuchar wants to solve the opioid crisis, as well as drug addiction. Warren believes in solving the income inequality present in the nation, and Yang aims to enact a universal income of at least $1,000 per month. In addition, Gabbard opposes the intervention overseas by the military.
President Trump’s platform for his reelection campaign includes a focus on immigration, the economy, and promoting fossil fuel production.
Ilana Sacks, an 18-year-old health science freshman, said, “I know that one of the Democratic candidates is Bloomberg from New York. Honestly, I am more interested in science than politics. I need to know what’s going on in the world, but I don’t have time to keep up with all of the candidates.”
When will the Democratic candidate be decided?
The eighth Democratic debate will take place on February 7, 2020, with two more debates following in the month of February before the primaries begin. However, the Democratic candidate will not be selected until the Democratic convention on July 13 through July 16, 2020.
As citizens of the United States, we have a civic responsibility to stay up-to-date with politics. Whether that means reading at least one news article a day or setting time aside to watch the presidential debates, taking the time to understand the politics of our country will help us make an informed decision when we vote.