It Is Time To Talk About Impeachment...Again
Unfortunately, Congress Has Abdicated Power
“The subject of [impeachment’s] jurisdiction are those offences which proceed from the misconduct of men, or in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust.” Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist No. 65
Donald Trump has set a record of sorts. In the first ten months of his Presidency, he has taken executive actions that should result in at least eight articles or categories of impeachment. Remarkable achievement.
On April 28, 2025, Representative Jamaal Bowman, along with several co-sponsors, introduced House Resolution 353 — Articles of Impeachment against President Donald J. Trump.
In case anyone is counting, that resolution includes seven articles of impeachment. Of course, with a Republican controlled House, these articles of impeachment will go nowhere, although they were referred to the House Judiciary Committee in October, just before the government shutdown.
Notably, Bowman’s resolution doesn’t even include recent Trump impeachable offenses since April, namely the illegal bombing of Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean and the refusal to release SNAP benefits. Both of these more recent violations could fit under any of the seven categories. Because of their egregious nature of these violations, I’ll call them out separately.
Impeachment is a legal and Constitutional means to remove a lawless President. It isn’t a tool to oust a person simply because of their policies or even their stupidity. It is a Constitutional fail-safe method to protect the country from a rogue or lawless President who is doing significant harm to the constitutional order.
Such is the case of Donald Trump…the Republic is directly at risk due to his Presidency.
For the record, I am not advocating a reckless attempt to impeach and convict Donald Trump. I’m not calling for a coup against Trump, nor would I ever call for a violent means to remove him from office.
Having said that, there are serious, impeachable offenses that, in normal times, would have triggered Congressional action long ago. The Constitution grants impeachment power to the House of Representatives solely, which, hypothetically, is the most representative body closest to the people. Congress has chosen to abdicate its power.
It is rather convenient for Mr. Trump that Congress is currently not in session, with no foreseeable reopening in sight. Impeachment, along with the Epstein files, is in no danger of finding any public airing anytime soon. Speaker of the House, Mike (Mr. Christian Nationalist) Johnson, is in no hurry to bring the people’s house back into session and face an avalanche of wrath against the GOP. He is acting cowardly.
If the House were to reconvene and Democrats were in control, articles of impeachment should be issued immediately. I’ll outline what those eight articles should include. however, these are broad categories. Some experts estimate that Donald Trump may have committed dozens of constitutional infractions nested under these categories.
I am not a lawyer, but legal reviewers have verified these articles of impeachment. I’ll cite the source for each, but the first seven of these categories are included in Rep. Bowman’s resolution.
Obstruction of Justice and Abuse of Power
Trump obstructed lawful investigations and directed federal officials to defy or undermine judicial and congressional oversight. Obstructing justice or using executive authority to shield oneself or associates constitutes “abuse of power” under Article II §4.
From January through March 2025, Trump purged and reassigned Department of Justice attorneys handling politically sensitive prosecutions (New York Times, Jan 31, 2025). Reuters reported in February that Trump issued a public directive to “clean house” at the Justice Department and to implement loyalty-based rehiring tests. As reported in March 2025, Trump aides were intervening in ongoing investigations into campaign finance violations involving allies.
Usurpation of Congressional Appropriations and Authority
The President spent or redirected federal funds without authorization, violating the Appropriations Clause (Art. I §9). The “power of the purse” belongs solely to Congress; unilateral reprogramming of funds has historically been grounds for impeachment inquiries (e.g., Nixon 1974 Art. II §1).
Here are the specific actions taken by Trump to trigger this article of impeachment:
In February, Trump diverted FEMA and DHS disaster-relief funds to border wall extensions without congressional approval. Politico reported this on Feb 23, 2025. Additionally, in April, Trump hijacked the Pentagon construction budget to reallocate money to new domestic detention facilities. (Defense News, April 8)
There have been other incidents of redirected federal funds since April. These are the two listed in Bowman’s resolution.
Abuse of Trade and War Powers
Trump used emergency and commander-in-chief powers to initiate hostilities and impose tariffs absent congressional sanction. Engaging in hostilities or levying tariffs as coercive foreign policy without congressional approval exceeds executive authority.
The impeachment resolution includes these incidents: On June 21, 2025, U.S. airstrikes on Iran were ordered without prior notification under the War Powers Act, drawing bipartisan criticism and prompting the now-tabled impeachment resolution (ABC News, June 22, 2025).
In May 2025, “National-security tariffs” on European goods were imposed unilaterally, prompting lawsuits under the Trade Expansion Act (Forbes, Oct. 21).
The US Constitution gives Congress the power to impose tariffs through two clauses in Article I, Section 8: the Taxing and Spending Clause (1) and the Commerce Clause (3). Clause 1 grants Congress the power “To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises,” while Clause 3 gives Congress the power “To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations”.
Republicans in Congress seem content to yield their Constitutional powers to an authoritarian President, but it is still an impeachable offense.
You can add to the War Powers infringement the recent bombings of Venezuelan boats that have been targeted and blown up in the Caribbean. The top human rights official at the United Nations, Volker Türk, has condemned the U.S. military strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific and called for prompt, independent, and transparent investigations into the attacks.
In addition to violating the War Powers Act of 1973, it appears Trump now may be an international terrorist. The U.S. strikes, which have reportedly killed more than 60 people since early September, breach international human rights law and amount to “extrajudicial killing”. Volker Türk stated that the circumstances for the use of lethal force “find no justification in international law”.
Specific UN experts, such as Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, have gone further, describing the strikes as potential “crimes against humanity” and systematic murder.
Violations of the First Amendment
The Bowman Resolution’s core claim is that Trump has used federal power to retaliate against political expression, protest, and the press. Executive action that chills or punishes speech/assembly undermines the Bill of Rights and qualifies as abuse of office.
Incidents include: In March 2025, Trump issued a DHS memo authorizing surveillance and visa revocation for foreign students participating in anti-administration protests (BBC April 9, 2025). Then, in May 2025, the DOJ, under orders from Trump, threatened to prosecute journalists who published leaked immigration memos (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, May 30, 2025).
There is more beyond the Resolution. Trump has used government power to pressure media outlets, including by having the FCC open investigations into news organizations with which he has feuded and by attempting to defund public broadcasters like NPR and PBS over their reporting.
Through executive orders and the actions of federal agencies (such as the DOJ and FBI), the Trump administration has been accused of targeting political opponents, law firms representing his adversaries, and universities based on their viewpoints or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. For Trump, an opposing opinion is no longer dissent; it is disloyalty, in direct violation of the First Amendment.
Creation of Unlawful Offices and Dereliction of Duty
The Bowman Resolution includes the establishment of extralegal “czar”-type positions and task forces operating outside statutory authority. While Presidents often establish administrative task forces, when they usurp Congressional power, they become extra-legal and are unconstitutional. It violates the Constitutional separation of powers.
For instance, in February 2025, Bloomberg reported on the creation of a “Presidential Security Task Force” led by private contractors reporting directly to the White House, bypassing DHS oversight. Any private or unofficial group that acts as a paramilitary force to patrol, drill, or interfere with government proceedings or constitutional rights would be engaging in illegal activity.
Bribery and Corruption
This one is overt and obvious. Article II §4 of the Constitution explicitly names bribery; accepting emoluments or favors in return for official acts is impeachable.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) reported in March that Trump had received payments from foreign delegations to Trump-owned hotels and golf properties. Add to this grift the Qatari gift of a luxury jet worth an estimated $400 million, which US President Donald Trump has said his administration has accepted. You may as well plaster the word “emoluments” on the side of the plane.
The Resolution also includes this gem. In April 2025, a policy reversal on a mining project following significant campaign contributions from the project’s executives revealed an explicit quid pro quo, as reported by the Guardian. It violates Campaign Finance laws.
Sadly, there are many other examples and incidents of bribery and grift in the Trump White House.
Tyranny and Attempt to Consolidate Power
Systematic efforts to concentrate authority in the presidency, undermine independent institutions, and intimidate opponents. Such behavior fits the Framers’ understanding of “high crimes” that involve subverting constitutional government itself.
Trump issued an executive order to investigate and potentially suspend federal employees deemed “disloyal,” but a court injunction later blocked it. He has deployed the military to “restore order” in “lawless” cities, echoing authoritarian rhetoric and violating the Constitution. Trump calls to “ignore activist judges” and enforce policies despite judicial blocks.
Trump’s actions subvert the Constitution and undermine the separation of powers.
Refusing To Issue SNAP Benefits
This is a more recent possible impeachable offense. If a president directs or presides over policy changes that cause mass deprivation of aid to a vulnerable population, it could be argued to constitute “dereliction of duty,” abuse of power, or a violation of rights. Trump’s dereliction is a violation of Article II and of the Appropriations Clause. Congress has already authorized funding for this purpose.
In all these acts, Trump has shown himself to be not only unfit for office but also devoid of humanity and decency. We don’t impeach a President because they are a lousy human being, but we can and should impeach a President when they break the law. Trump continues day after day to break our system of laws and constitutional order.
James Madison said this about the power of impeachment in his Notes of the Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787:
“The limitation of the period of his [President] service, was not a sufficient security… He might pervert his administration into a scheme of peculation or oppression. He might betray his trust to foreign powers… In the case of the Executive Magistracy which was to be administered by a single man, loss of capacity or corruption was more within the compass of probable events, and either of them might be fatal to the Republic.”
It is time for Congress to heed Madison’s warning. It is time for Congress to reclaim its Constitutional power, which they have willingly yielded to Donald Trump. It is time to restore the Constitutional checks and balances and the separation of powers. It is time to impeach Donald Trump.
If the democrats regain the House next year, I would bet some money they will impeach Trump and have a bunch of charges to use. I hope they do. we will see if they have the guts. Good article.