750 scholars pen open letter urging the House to impeach Donald Trump

Hundreds of scholars and historians have written an open letter urging the House to vote to impeach President Trump.

In the letter, 750 prominent figures including professors from Harvard, Yale and Stanford argue that Trump’s ‘abuses of power’ are ‘precisely what the [founders] had in mind as grounds for impeaching and removing a president.’

‘If President Trump’s misconduct does not rise to the level of impeachment, then virtually nothing does,’ they write. 

New York Times contributor Ron Chernow, former Newsweek editor Jon Meacham, and CNN commentator Douglas Brinkley are also among signatories to the letter. 

The House is due to vote Wednesday on two articles of impeachment against Trump – one alleging that he violated his oath of office by soliciting Ukraine to smear rival Joe Biden, and a second that he obstructed the subsequent investigation.

Signatories argue that Trump’s ‘abuses of power’ are ‘precisely what the [founders] had in mind as grounds for impeachment’ (pictured, the House of Representatives chamber where the vote is due to take place Wednesday)

Both articled are expected to pass and will then be sent to the Senate for trial.  

Republicans say the impeachment is a politically-motivated ‘witch hunt’ by Democrats who have still not accepted Trump’s 2016 election victory.

In the letter, academics argue that Trump has violated his oath of office to ‘uphold the Constitution’ by urging Ukrainian president Vlodomir Zelensky to launch an investigation into Biden.

They describe the Ukraine scandal as a ‘flagrant abuse of power’ that has been ‘hurtful to the Constitution’.

They go on to attack Trump’s ‘lawless obstruction’ of the House investigation, saying it ‘has demonstrated brazen contempt for representative government.’

‘So have his attempts to justify that obstruction on the grounds that the executive enjoys absolute immunity, a fictitious doctrine that, if tolerated, would turn the president into an elected monarch above the law,’ they write.

Arguing that Trump has shown a complete disregard for both the rule of law and Constitution, they conclude: ‘That disregard continues and it constitutes a clear and present danger. 

Democrats argue that Trump violated his oath of office by soliciting Ukraine for dirt on Joe Biden, while Republicans have derided impeachment as an attempt to do-over the 2016 election (pictured, pro-Trump protesters)

‘We therefore strongly urge the House of Representatives to impeach the President.’

Among other high-profile signatories to the letter are documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and Lyndon Jonhson biographer Robert Caro.

The House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines last week to bring the two articles of impeachment, setting up Wednesday’s debate and vote.

On Sunday a 650-page report was released outlining the case for impeachment, including evidence uncovered by House investigative committees.

‘Taken together, the articles charge that President Trump has placed his personal, political interests above our national security, our free and fair elections, and our system of checks and balances,’ the report says.

The House Rules Committee is due to meet Tuesday to set out the parameters for the debate, including who can speak, for how long, and the text of the articles.

A vote is currently scheduled for Wednesday, though may be delayed until Thursday if the debates run long.

The articles are expected to pass with a vote largely split along party lines, though at least two Democrats who hold seats in states that Trump won in 2016 could cross the aisle and vote against.

The House is expected to pass both articles of impeachment along a roughly party-lines vote, though at least two Democrats could cross the aisle and vote against (pictured, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi)

After the House vote the articles will pass to the Senate for trial, where they are expected to be shot down by the Republican Majority (left, Democrat Senate leader Chuck Schumer, right, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell)

One such democrat is Jeff Van Drew, of New Jersey, who is expected to defect to the Republican party shortly before the vote.

Van Drew, a freshman Democrat elected in 2018, has consistently voted against impeachment.

He met with Trump at the White House on Friday before the majority of his staff abruptly quit, and news of his defection leaked. 

Once the articles have passed the House they go to the Senate as a ‘privileged’ resolution, meaning Senators must drop all other business and take them up.

Ahead of the trial, Democrat leader Chuck Schumer and Republican leader Mitch McConnell will try to negotiate a resolution setting out rules for the trial – including who can testify and for how long. 

Any trial would likely take place in January, though how long it will last is unclear – McConnell has been making the case for a quick hearing, though Trump has mulled taking longer and calling witnesses including Hunter Biden to testify.

All 100 Senators will act as jurors during the trial, with a two-thirds majority required to convict. Republican currently control the Senate.