Will Trump Be Imprisoned If He Is Dismissed From The Presidential Office?
After nearly three years of going through a series of investigations, shocking confessions and horrendous scandals, the United States House of Representatives (DPR), or Capitol Hill, is reeling again after the agency plans an investigation into President Donald Trump to remove him from office.
This is not the first time for Trump, since his election day, that a number of investigations have taken place in relation to allegations of Russia's involvement in winning him.
This year, Trump has again been accused of engaging foreign parties for his political interests.
Trump's investigation this time focuses on alleged abuse of power to undermine his political rival in the 2020 election, Joe Biden. According to the Chairman of the US House of Representatives (DPR) Nancy Pelosi, Trump's actions have betrayed his oath of office.
"Nobody is above the law," said Pelosi, when announcing plans to investigate Trump on Tuesday (24/9).
The Joe Biden case
This inquiry was a storm at the end of Trump's first term. The reason is, the official investigation was approved by most of the DPR members from the Democratic Party faction.
Quoted from the Independent, Friday (27/9), Trump's impeachment plan originated from a telephone conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It was said in the chat that Trump asked Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, regarding an alleged corruption case at a Ukrainian gas company.
Days before the conversation, Trump reportedly ordered a freeze on $ 400 million in military aid to Ukraine. This attitude seems to be Trump's attempt to pressure the Eastern European leader.
Last Wednesday (25/9), the White House finally released a memorandum containing the conversation between Trump and Zelensky. The transcript of the conversation was released at Trump's request for investigation purposes.
"I said, we did a lot for Ukraine," Trump said in a conversation with Zelensky, according to the memorandum.
Trump also said the US had spent quite a lot of energy and time on Ukraine. In fact, according to Trump, what the US provides is far more than any other European country. In fact, Trump said that greater assistance should come from fellow European countries.
"The Germans are doing almost nothing for you. They can only talk, and I think that is something that has to be questioned," Trump said.
On a transcript of the second conversation, Trump asked Zelensky to investigate the Biden case.
"One more thing, there is a lot of talk about Biden's son, Biden said, stopping the charges (about corruption) and a lot of people want to know about it. So anything you can do with the attorney general will help," Trump said. "Sounds terrible to me," he added.
Biden is thought to have pushed for the attorney general's dismissal for his son's business interests. Hunter Biden, holds a company in Ukraine called Burisma Holdings. Yuriy Lutsenko, a public prosecutor, was investigating the company's financial transactions.
Can Trump go to jail?
The Justice Department said the incumbent president could not be charged or prosecuted legally. However, Trump's fate could change when he is fired, or when his term ends.
California congressman Adam Schiff, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said Trump could be the first potential president to languish in prison.
Prosecutors said Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, was "acting according to directions" from Trump to silence the two women - Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal - about his affair with the two television stars.
At least two-thirds of councilors now support Trump's impeachment, or attempt to overthrow the president.
After Pelosi announced plans for a formal inquiry into Trump, the controversial president and his team released a series of tweets attacking the Democratic Party.
The burden of this issue seems to be shifting to Democrats about how they made this scandal a big concern of the US people. In a highly polarized Congress, this impeachment attempt will show how Democrats and Republicans behave.
What's more, a two-thirds majority of the Senate must make a choice if it is to fire Trump through the impeachment process. So far Republicans are unlikely to abandon Trump.
California Congressman Jackie Speier said Trump may not fulfill his term until the end. He also said there were developments in the Trump campaign case in the 2016 election involving Russia. Speier believes Trump will step down before impeachment.
"I always thought that he (Trump) would never fulfill his full term of office," said Speier.
