As Special Counsel Robert Muller’s investigation into possible Russian collusion continues to loom over the Trump administration, the latest Gallup poll reveals that the president’s approval rating has dropped to 37 percent while his disapproval rating has climbed to 59 percent.
With these low approval numbers, a new Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, renewed calls for impeachment, and the longest government shutdown in U.S. history continuing, it’s little wonder why “ImpeachTrump.com” is now up for auction.
Precision Marketing Solutions, Inc, a New York-based firm, is auctioning the domain name until Thursday, January 17; the minimum bid is $339.
“We’ve already accepted bids for ImpeachTrump.com,” Susan Rodgers, spokesperson for Precision Marketing Solutions, said.
According to Rodgers, the company has received “inquiries from those who oppose and support President Trump and see owning the domain as a great vehicle for making their voices heard.”
Why This Matters
As the response to the auction suggest, impeaching Trump has been a part of the national political debate. Calls to impeach Trump began as soon as he took the oath of office on January 20, 2017.
In June of 2017 Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman of California and Al Green of Texas introduced an article of impeachment, stating that Trump sought to end investigations into his then National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and “Russian state interference into the 2016 campaign” and “possible collusion by [his campaign staff] with the Russian government.”
But an article of impeachment does not remove an official from office – it only levels charges against them. For an official to be removed from office, the Senate must hold an impeachment trial and two thirds must vote in favor. Republicans currently hold the majority of seats in the US Senate.
What’s Next
In the first weeks of 2019, impeachment has been raised by US House Representative Rashida Tlaib, newly-elected Democrat from Michigan. The House of Representatives, which is majority Democrat after the 2018 primaries, could vote to impeach Trump – whether or not the Republican-controlled Senate holds a trial or convicts Trump remains uncertain at best.
Trump’s former fixer and personal attorney Michael Cohen has also agreed to testify publically in front of Congress about Trump’s role in providing hush money during the 2016 campaign to a woman who was prepared to go public about an affair she had with him years prior.
In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to several crimes including a campaign finance violation in which he implicated the president.
A full report from Mueller will likely be issued sometime in 2019.
More on the Subject
After President Donald Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen implicated him in federal crimes, there’s been widespread speculation regarding whether or not the president will be indicted or even impeached over the allegations.
Laurence Tribe, a professor of constitutional law at Harvard and a co-author of “To End Presidency: The Power of Impeachment,” told The Globe Post that an ordinary citizen in Trump’s position, “without doubt,” would likely be indicted for conspiracy to commit a federal crime.