Over the span of 230 years, only three U.S. presidents have faced impeachment charges, none of which led to an expulsion from the oval office. This statistic raises pertinent questions about the meaning of 'high crimes and misdemeanors' - the alleged grounds for initiating an impeachment process against an incumbent. Is there a tangible standard for commencing an impeachment inquiry?
As recent as this week, the House voted in favor of instituting a formal impeachment inquiry against the standing President Biden. The decision empowers the House to garner essential evidence and ensures a more formidable legal stance if the court is brought into the equation.
Historically, House Democrats had twice staged impeachment charges against former President Trump. Regardless, those efforts fell short of securing conviction. A nascent trend appears to be emerging where presidents teasingly stare down the possibility of impeachment from the opposition party.
On the other hand, the incumbent administration has purportedly been uncooperative. It is alleged that they denied critical witnesses requested by the opposition and withheld correspondence between Biden and the key figures implicated in an alleged influence peddling scheme. Biden had previously denied ever communicating with these individuals.
Furthermore, the scrutiny does not stop at the president's office but envelops his close kinship as well. His son and brother have faced serious allegations of criminal activities against them in connection with the influence peddling lynched around Biden's brand.
The unveiling of tons of evidence pointing towards potential impeachable offenses involving Biden has led the House to take the decisive step of launching an impeachment inquiry. If this impeachment bid comes into fruition, it will mark a monumental moment in the country's constitutional history. The question remains as to whether this is the beginning of a new constitutional norm where presidents could face impeachment inquiries from the opposing party. Only time will tell.
