Five Questions with Congressman Eric Swalwell

Impeachment proceedings loom again

All that knowledge you picked up about impeachment when Trump was impeached? It’s going to come in handy again.

Recent history: the first Trump impeachment was for withholding security aid to Ukraine in an attempt to coerce President Zelensky to announce a baseless investigation into Joe Biden. Disclosures by a whistleblower triggered that investigation. The second impeachment involved January 6, which we all watched unfold before our eyes, including Trump’s speech on the Ellipse that whipped up the mob that overran the Capitol and his failure to take any action for hours while the insurrection was underway. In other words, there was plenty of available evidence to merit both impeachments, which succeeded in the House of Representatives, but did not result in convictions in the Senate.

Fast forward to today, where House Republicans have impeachment fever. But, there is no evidence that Joe Biden, their target, has committed high crimes and misdemeanors. It’s more of a “you did this to us, now we’ll do it you” kind of enterprise, a fishing expedition or a witch hunt, if you will. Republicans apparently hope to resuscitate the issue that led to Trump’s first impeachment—they’re still looking desperately for evidence linking Joe Biden to his son Hunter’s work for foreign companies. But all they have is speculation and innuendo. There is no evidence, just insinuation. Even the special counsel in Hunter Biden’s case, who charged an obscure and rarely used gun charge and tax charges that are typically resolved administratively, not criminally, didn’t charge Hunter Biden, let alone Joe Biden, with impropriety. And that was after years of investigation and access to grand jury subpoenas.

Before these proceedings launch, it makes sense for us to refresh our understanding of the impeachment process and what the Founding Fathers intended it for. There is no one better to take those questions up with than California Congressman Eric Smalwell, who is our guest for this session of “Five Questions With.” Congressman Swalwell, a fifth term member of Congress, was one of the impeachment managers during the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump.

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