Ahead of an expected House vote on the impeachment of Donald Trump, some of the president’s critics on social media appeared to conflate impeachment with removal.
The Democratic-led House is expected to pass on Wednesday two articles of impeachment charging Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for his dealings with Ukraine.
Yes.
God watch over this country. Help the ppl do their job to vote the president out of office.— sml (@dahlia1516) December 18, 2019
Many anti-Trump social media users were giddy at the prospect of impeaching the president, celebrating the occasion with a special hashtag.
The U.S. Constitution gives the House the power to impeach a president for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” part of the document’s checks and balances among the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government.
But removal takes place in the Senate, where the Constitution requires a super-majority of 67 senators to convict a president.
The Republican-led Senate is highly unlikely to vote to convict Trump.
That fact seemed to escape some users on social media.
Former Saturday Night Live writer Natasha Rothwell sent a video clip to the president bidding him, “Bye.”
uhh you know impeachment doesn’t mean he leaves, right?
do they have schools in California? lol
— random thoughts (@musings_n) December 18, 2019
“They’re really about to yeet Trump out of office huh,” tweeted one person, whose comment reflected the sentiments of dozens of other users apparently confused as to how impeachment actually works.
Fake president trump: you said that someday there will be a Democrat president who’ll be impeached by a Republican Congress. We’re willing to take that chance if it means getting rid of your lying, corrupt, cowardly butt. We’ll take anything that gets you out of our Oval Office
— American Veteran (@amvetsupport) December 18, 2019
“Trump is impeached today, [dragged] kicking & screaming out of the oval office! (We can only hope!)” said another commenter.
Impeachment doesn’t mean removal from office
— Josh Fields (@partiallypro) December 18, 2019
One user said the stock market was already responding to Trump’s imminent removal.
“The stock market is blowing up because of your impeachment. People understand that business will do much much better with you out of office and the stock market shows it.HAPPY IMPEACHMENT EVERYONE!” he said.
Others were concerned that Trump’s impeachment meant Vice President Mike Pence would automatically assume the presidency.
“Okay so, they impeach Trump and then Pence takes over. So y’all ready for the real devil to take office? Smh. Y’all were so hell bent on getting Trump out of office and not even realizing the man behind him is just as evil,” tweeted one commenter.
Supporters of the president took to Twitter to mock the gaps in their political opponents’ knowledge.
“What they don’t get is that impeachment does not mean removal of the president. This sham is going to backfire on these idiots, bigly,” tweeted one commenter.
The best part of #MerryImpeachmas today is going to be when the average leftist realizes that impeachment doesn’t mean removal & Trump is still their President
— Melissa A. (@TheRightMelissa) December 18, 2019
“The best part of #MerryImpeachmas today is going to be when the average leftist realizes that impeachment doesn’t mean removal & Trump is still their President,” said conservative Twitter personality The Right Melissa.
“Just wait for the Liberal outrage when they find out Trump isn’t getting removed from office,” tweeted Students for Trump founder Ryan Fournier.
Members of the House Rules Committee set a six-hour limit for debate before the vote on Wednesday by the full House.
No president has ever been removed from office via the impeachment process set out in the Constitution.
Via Pluralist
