On Tuesday, September 24th, an impeachment inquiry began to investigate the complaints of a whistleblower regarding US President Donald Trump’s actions. The whistleblower, who has remained anonymous, revealed that Trump had made a phone call to Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zalensky, asking him to investigate Joe Biden and his son for potentially helpful information. The accusation was that Trump had used his power as President for personal gain.
During this impeachment inquiry, it is not a surprise that politicians have taken sides. Obviously, the Democrats have begun siding with Nancy Pelosi and those that support the inquiry, while most Republicans claim that the inquiry is unnecessary and poorly warranted. However, some Congressmen seem to have stepped out of line.
Republican Mark Amodei representing Nevada said that the government needed to “follow the facts” and determine whether or not the inquiry is legitimate. This statement sparked a backlash from his Republican peers, who were shocked that he would even support the inquiry at all. Similarly, Representative Fred Upton from Michigan explained that although he didn’t want an impeachment inquiry, he agreed that the public needed to know the facts about the mystery call. This precarious position is apparent in a handful of Republican candidates, a rare and surprising stance coming at a time where the US is so divided.
It turns out that many Republican also have doubts about the president’s ability to govern, but they are afraid of making these thoughts public, as one tweet from the President’s office can destroy their entire political career. However, these politicians are taking the right steps forward.
Instead of jumping on the bandwagon of one’s own party, one must carefully consider each action and proposal objectively without taking into account the party that is responsible for it. For example, in the case of the impeachment inquiry, the fact that Democrats began the inquiry should not be a reason for Republicans to viscerally oppose it. Rather, they should take a step back and evaluate the situation with a blank slate. Although it is inevitable that veering away from the norm will garner some level of backlash, staying between the lines is only a recipe for political polarity and gridlock. On the other hand, it is also unwise to tread freely on new ground, as major backlash that destroys a career also eliminates the positive effects of being objective. Instead, Congress and other politicians need to find a balance between objectivity and staying loyal to their party’s blanket characteristics. Even though this balance is hard to achieve, trying one’s best to do so will result in the most optimal outcome for everyone.
