“The framers of the Constitution intentionally made it difficult for Congress to remove a sitting president. The impeachment process starts in the House of Representatives with a formal impeachment inquiry. If the House Judiciary Committee finds sufficient grounds, its members write and pass articles of impeachment, which then go to the full House for a vote.
“A simple majority in the House is all that’s needed to formally impeach a president. But that doesn’t mean he or she is out of a job. The final stage is the Senate impeachment trial. Only if two-thirds of the Senate find the president guilty of the crimes laid out in the articles of impeachment is the POTUS removed from office.”1
On this day in 1868, President Andrew Johnson took the dubious honor of being the first impeached president. As Lincoln’s vice-president, Johnson was thrust into a new role just 42 days after Lincoln’s second term began. Johnson was left in charge of the Reconstructionist movement which caused him to clash with the Radical Republicans. Ultimately, what caused his impeachment was a violation of the Tenure of Office Act and the firing of the Secretary of War. The House impeached him, and he barely escaped impeachment from the Senate.
Bill Clinton was the next to be impeached. Scandals followed him into the Whitehouse, and we are well familiar with the ones that developed while he was in office. In 1998, Clinton was impeached by the House for perjury and obstruction of justice. The Senate acquitted him of all charges.
Donald Trump was the last to be impeached – TWICE! 2019 and 2021. In the first
impeachment, Trump was convicted by the House and charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He was acquitted by the Senate.
2021 was the year of the Capitol riots. Trump was charged with incitement of insurrection and convicted by the House. The Senate acquitted these charges as well.
The process for impeachment is arduous. It’s designed this way to deter frivolous disagreements from escalating into attempts to oust the President. Through the years, this has worked. Recently, though, politicians have used this to stall and hinder a president’s agenda. While the impeachment may not go through, the constant rhetoric about it provides an adequate distraction.
God has his own system for dealing with accusations against another. Deuteronomy 19:15 says, “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” Even this has a fatal flaw.
Matthew 26:59-61 says, “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; (60) But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, (61) And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.” If false witnesses can bring evil reports, wrongly convicting a person, how can this be fair? How can this be a good system?
God’s remedy to this is found back in Deuteronomy 19:16-20. “If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; (17) Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; (18) And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; (19) Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto 
his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. (20) And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.”
If the laws of the land would operate according to God’s laws, things would be so much better. Evil and sin would be dealt with swiftly and justly. You would think twice before bringing a false witness and claim of an infraction.
If you are ever faced with having to be a witness, make sure that your statements are impeccable. Never allow yourself to get swept up in an emotional response or jump on the bandwagon of public sentiment. Keep in mind the warning of Proverbs 19:5. “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.”
1https://www.history.com/news/how-many-presidents-impeached
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