The Trump administration is infested with corruption and has demonstrated time after time that it’s incapable of governing. The administration is refusing to cooperate in any way with the House’s impeachment inquiry. For the Trump administration, this is business as usual.

The constitution makes it perfectly clear that the legislative branch has the authority and responsibility of holding the executive branch accountable. It’s our duly-elected representatives who are engaged in this important undertaking. Yet Trump doesn’t respect the authority of Congress –a co-equal branch of government– which means he doesn’t respect the constitution he swore to protect and defend. And if Trump doesn’t respect Congress, he doesn’t respect the American people. It’s the people who elected our representatives and therefore their power comes from us.

Trump has thrown the delicate power balance in the Middle East off its axis by recklessly pulling American armed forces from Syria with no exit or diplomatic planning. This has put the Kurds, one of our strongest allies in combating ISIS and maintaining stability in the Middle East, in imminent danger. The House voted overwhelmingly (354-60) to condemn Trump’s decision. The majority of House Republicans even supported this rare act of condemnation.

Trump’s capacity for corruption is boundless. In the midst of the Ukraine crisis, Trump was still intent on soliciting foreign powers to interfere in our electoral process by urging China to investigate the Biden family. Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice’s Southern District of New York office. The news broke shortly after two of his Ukrainian associates who helped him with the Ukraine scandal were arrested at the airport with one-way tickets to Germany. They were charged with violating campaign finance laws. Giuliani had lunch with them just hours before their arrest.

The Ukraine scandal hasn’t seemed to worry Trump enough to take a break from profiting off of the American taxpayer. He uses his power and influence to direct government business to his own properties. He’s been doing this since he was sworn in. During the past year’s G7 summit, Trump went out of his way to promote his Doral resort for the 2020 G7 summit. And, as of yesterday, it was announced Doral would be the location for the 2020 G7 economic summit.

All of these events have only happened in the past couple of weeks, just as the impeachment inquiry is at a fever pitch. It’s obvious to any rationally-minded individual that this president believes he is above the law. While any other person in his situation would be on their best behavior, he’s becoming more unhinged and reckless by the day. This perpetual state of chaos is not normal and we cannot become desensitized to it. And this is why the impeachment inquiry is more important than ever.

The process of impeachment must have a mandate by the American people: citizens deeply concerned about the affairs of the office that’s administered with by the consent of the people. Polls in the past few weeks have indicated the majority of Americans support impeachment. However, we cannot rely solely on polls. We need to apply significant pressure to our members of Congress, regardless of their party or position on impeachment.

Impeachment is only half the battle since it’s effectively non-binding. Trump will need to be convicted by the Republican-controlled Senate, which is led by Mitch McConnell –the most notorious and powerful obstructor of the legislative process in Congress. If there’s not significant pressure coming from a majority of Americans, McConnell will do everything in his power to coerce the impeachment trial in the Senate. As the Majority Leader, McConnell has significant power in whipping Republican votes. However, if public opinion on impeachment and removal continues to gain momentum, they’ll be much more inclined to vote to convict. This will come out of self-preservation for their own political future. It’s unlikely most of these Republican senators will be voting their conscience. They’ll be voting whichever way the political winds are blowing. And it’s the American people who control those winds.

The American people will need to play their part. We need to focus our attention on contacting our elected officials, imploring them to support impeachment and removal from office. Calls need to be made and letters need to be drafted. We also need to convince our otherwise apathetic friends and family to do the same.

The opportunity to right the greatest wrong in modern American history is upon us. There’s never been a more important time to engage in civic action. If Trump isn’t impeached and convicted, it could very well be the final shot across the bow for American democracy.

When our constitution was created at the Constitutional Convention, it’s said that a woman approached Benjamin Franklin and asked what kind of government they had created. Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”