Donald Trump could be headed toward impeachment under a new bill targeting business conflicts of interest. The proposed legislation is being pushed by one of the most vocal critics of Trump throughout the 2016 campaign.
Trump has failed to address fears from critics about his business conflicts, refusing to this point to state how he plans to divest himself from his various business stakes, including those that deal with foreign governments. While Trump has said that his companies will be under the control of his adult children, many critics, including those within his own party, have called on Trump to place all of his holdings in a blind trust.
Now, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren is taking a step that could lead to impeachment if Donald Trump fails to separate himself from his business ventures. Warren was one of the biggest critics of Trump throughout the campaign, including getting into many Twitter spats with the now president-elect.
As the Independent noted, Warren has joined a group of Democratic Senators to introduce a bill invoking the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which forbids the president from receiving gifts or favors from foreign actors.
“The American people deserve to know that the President of the United States is working to do what’s best for the country – not using his office to do what’s best for himself and his businesses,” said Senator Warren. “The only way for President-elect Trump to truly eliminate conflicts-of-interest is to divest his financial interests and place them in a blind trust. This has been the standard for previous presidents, and our bill makes clear the continuing expectation that President-elect Trump do the same.”
JUST IN: Top dems propose bill forcing Trump to shed conflicts of interest or risk impeachment https://t.co/n1WeodI9WQ pic.twitter.com/kmPdAXcXXK
— The Hill (@thehill) December 15, 2016
There have been many others speculating on a potential impeachment for Donald Trump. Dating back as far as April, Politico reported that there were those on both sides on the aisle predicting a possible impeachment, although back then it was focused on his insistence on building a wall along the border with Mexico.
“From the right, Washington attorney Bruce Fein puts the odds at 50/50 that a President Trump commits impeachable offenses as president. Liberal Florida Rep. Alan Grayson says Trump’s insistence on building a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, if concrete was poured despite Congress’s opposition, could lead down a path toward impeachment. Even the mainstream Republican head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently tossed out the I-word when discussing the civilian backlash if Trump’s trade war with China led to higher prices on everyday items sold at WalMart and Target.”
And interest isn’t just high among lawmakers and political experts. The average voter appears to have a keen interest in whether Donald Trump could be impeached, starting with a spike in Google searches for “Donald Trump impeachment” and “how to impeach a president” just after Election Day, Metro reported.
These searches were highest in left-leaning states, the report added.
“In fact, the question has seen a monumental 4,850% rise in searches,” Metro reported about the “how to impeach a president” Google searches. “According to Google Trends data, the top five states frantically looking up impeachment were Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado.”
Democrats Are Paving the Way to Impeach Donald Trump https://t.co/VmElNlZJF2 via @VanityFair
— Vassilena Pavlova (@Vassilena1985) December 16, 2016
The bill that could lead to Donald Trump’s impeachment will likely have a difficult battle to passage and ultimately may end up as more of a symbolic protest against his conflicts of interest. The legislation would have to make it through the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, both of which are controlled by Republicans, and would also have to garner the votes necessary to withstand a likely veto from Trump.
[Featured Image by Alex Wong/Getty Images]