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Do We Really Want to Impeach Trump?

Do We Really Want to Impeach Trump?

If we want a Mike Pence presidency, then I suppose so

Google searches for “how to impeach a president” increased by nearly 5000 percent within hours of Donald Trump’s win. As you read this, the right and the left are organizing strategies to do just that.

Others aren’t just calling for it; they’re certain of it. Allan Lichtman is known as the “Prediction Professor” for correctly forecasting nearly every presidential election since 1984.

Now, he tells the Washington Post he’s “quite certain Trump will give someone grounds for impeachment, either by doing something that endangers national security or because it helps his pocketbook.”

On the face of it, impeachment sounds good to those frightened by the business mogul’s rise to power. Before jumping on the impeachment bandwagon, you may want to consider who would then run the country: Mike Pence. Many Republicans would love that. The soon-to-be vice president is one of the most conservative politicians in the country and party members feel he can be controlled.

If you’re on the left, beware! A Pence presidency would likely be worse for you than a Trump one.

A few issues to consider:

LGBT Rights: While Trump is promising to approve the most wide-sweeping anti-gay federal legislation of our time, Pence has already done so. As governor of Indiana, he signed the nation’s first “religious freedom” law that allowed Indiana businesses to refuse to serve members of the LGBT community. (Like how companies used to be allowed to refuse to serve African Americans.) The law was so restrictive, Pence had to sign an amendment to reverse it after several major organizations, including the NBA and Walmart, threatened a boycott.

Right to Choose: During his campaign, Trump did not specify the type of laws he’ll approve to restrict abortion. If he’s looking for guidance, Pence is the man. In April, he signed into law a measure outlawing abortions based on fetal chromosomal abnormalities that can lead to serious (sometimes fatal) birth defects. Among other things, it also bans fetal-tissue donation and requires aborted fetuses to be cremated or buried. A federal judge put this law on hold.

Drug Laws: We don’t know for sure what Trump’s position is now, but in the past he’s opposed stronger drug laws. Not so for Pence. Not only does he support stricter laws, he expressed pleasure while signing an Indiana law that reinstated mandatory minimum drug sentences. Two offenses will land a person in prison for a full decade.

Immigration: Trump appears to be softening on immigration. Despite campaign promises to deport millions of people here illegally, he’s now focused only on those who have committed crimes (most, under current laws, would be deported anyway). As for his wall along the Mexican border? He told 60 Minutes he’s settling for a fence in some parts.

Pence is not backing down. While governor, he blocked all Syrian refugees from Indiana and illegally tried to cut aid to refugees already there.

The truth about Trump is that he tends to say one thing, then either denies saying it or contradicts it. We don’t know for sure what he will do on any of these issues when push comes to shove. Pence, on the other hand, has a proven track-record.

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