The role of republicans has become crucial as the trial of the second impeachment of former US President Donald Trump has begun in the Senate while graphic details of the January 6 violence in the Congress committed by terrorist supporters of former while President still in power surface. From the video clips nobody will be in doubt that he provoked and instigated such violent elements to attack at the heart of democracy and if the Senators were not rushed to safety some of them would have surely lost their lives. Vice-President Pence and the House Speaker Pelosi were announced openly as targets. They would have been killed.
There is no doubt about the repulsive reaction among many Republicans and there is talk about a break up of the Republican Party and in spite of that there is no certainty that 17 Republicans will support the impeachment result in conviction. Trump still has stranglehold over the party and there is reason for members of the party to be in fear of retaliation from his dangerous militants. The Republicans by and large do not deny the imminent danger posed to the Senators by terrorists, inside the Senate building but still for their long held party loyalty they oppose the impeachment on the lame ground that since Trump is no longer in office he cannot be constitutionally impeached. The impeachment proceedings are basically political and the course has been decided in light of political consequences for the nation.
Not only the crime of sacrilege against the citadel of democracy but also crime of insurrection has been committed so that the democratically elected President Joe Biden could not take over the government. Trump’s plan was to continue in power defying the election result. The Republicans cannot ignore the real threat to democracy and the values that make America great. A sitting President was staging insurrection to destroy everything the Americans hold dearest to them.
As an insurrectionist against democratic election and democratic government Mr Trump must not be saved to become President of the USA for a second time. The Republicans must not endanger democracy at home and abroad for the narrow consideration of personal ambition of one man. The success of impeachment of Donald Trump is an imperative for the safety of democracy all over the world.
