Donald Trump’s presidency has certainly been a point of contention, starting as early as his election in 2016, but even with debates for the next election now underway, the controversy isn’t over yet. Recent reports led to allegations that, in July, Trump pushed a Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the family of Joe Biden, who was Vice President under Obama and is now a strong Democratic contender for the 2020 election. Under the law, it is illegal to ask foreign entities for help in winning a US election. As a result, in late September, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stepped forward and initiated impeachment proceedings against Trump. “No one is above the law,” she explained.
Currently, an impeachment inquiry is underway. If Trump becomes impeached, Congress would be bringing charges against him, and he would undergo a trial; the result of this trial would determine whether Trump stays in office or is replaced for the rest of his term by Vice President Mike Pence. Since Republicans control the Senate, removing Trump from office would require members of his own party to turn on him. A majority of Republicans remain loyal to Trump, making it likely that he will remain as the President. That being said, there are exceptions such as Senator Mitt Romney, who advocates for more transparency on the issue at hand. Furthermore, an increasing number of politicians -- even moderates -- have recently indicated that they favor impeachment proceedings.
A huge debate exists regarding whether or not Trump broke the law or committed an impeachable offense. At this point, the path forward is uncertain. One side of the issue could crumble, but if both sides put up a strong fight, the long battle of possible impeachment could drag through the winter. Regardless, Trump’s July call is now the center of the Democratic pursuit of impeachment -- it is impossible to tell how the issue will end.