Impeachment Democrats will regret spearheading the political witch hunt: Rep. Jody Hice This is not what our Founding Fathers intended, and it is not what the country wants: Opposing view

Jody Hice | Opinion contributor

Show Caption Hide Caption Presidential impeachment: Clinton, Johnson, Nixon test U.S. democracy Presidents have been impeached, but none have been removed from office due to impeachment. Confusing? Here's how.

This week, the House took the harrowing step of voting to impeach President Donald Trump. History will judge this moment, but I can say with a high degree of certainty that Democrats will regret their headlong charge.

Neither of the two articles of impeachment contains an actual crime or even a single shred of real evidence against Trump, yet Democrats are spearheading this politically motivated witch hunt all the same.

In 230 years, the House has impeached only two presidents: Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before a vote on articles of impeachment.

There is a reason why impeachment is so rare: It is the process by which the Congress overturns the will of the people. Some 63 million Americans voted for Trump, and it is an intensely powerful action to disenfranchise them.

To do so, there must be clear evidence and due process. Last March, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed: “Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path.”

The simple truth is that after all the closed-door depositions and public hearings, none of the witnesses could establish that the president committed bribery, treason, or any high crime or misdemeanor.

OUR VIEW: Donald Trump's impeachment defenders set a dangerous precedent

What Democrats call evidence is hearsay and speculative assumptions, many from career bureaucrats who simply disagree with the president.

Nancy Pelosi had it right in March, and her partisan shift will cause long-term damage to America. Congressional Democrats are setting a dangerous precedent by which any future president may be impeached for political and policy disagreements. This is not what our Founding Fathers intended, and it is not what the country wants.

The 2020 presidential election is less than a year away. I urged Speaker Pelosi and her allies to give Americans the opportunity to weigh in at the ballot box — not silence their voice.

Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., serves on the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

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