After three years, the game of “will they?” or “won’t they?” has reached a peak. Donald Trump’s impeachment is almost in reach. It’s too late to turn back. 

     Sep. 24, 2019, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi launched a formal impeachment inquiry against Trump and attorney Rudy Guiliani. This inquiry follows speculation that Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation threatening Joe Biden’s run for president.

     This is a big step considering how many representatives and voters have called for Trump’s impeachment. Congress has a lot of momentum and evidence supporting his removal, and not removing him from office could set a dangerous precedent. 

     Congress has been interviewing witnesses in private testimonies to avoid aggravating the public while gathering nonpartisan information. If all goes according to plan, Democratic House Representatives will vote to impeach (level charges against) the president. The Senate will hear the case and vote Trump out of office, and a federal judge will charge him with abuse of power.

     Impeachment is scary for voters and politicians alike (the impeachment of Bill Clinton resulted in Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich’s resignation), but there is too much riding on this inquiry. 

     Trump will likely never receive federal punishment for the Mueller Report, or for allegedly sexually assaulting at least 25 women and teenagers, but he should be punished, no matter the repercussions. 

     As a queer teenager, I am scared of Mike Pence after his efforts to legalize discrimination against same-sex couples and prevent funding for HIV care, unless that care includes conversion therapy. I know if the Republican nominee is anyone but Trump, it could threaten the prospects of a Democratic president in 2020. 

     The Senate might not vote out Trump. Many will feel remorse at the expenditure of time and resources. Perhaps it would be easier to turn a blind eye and let Trump ride it out until his term ends. 

     But if he is allowed to commit treason with no repercussions, our system of checks and balances has failed us, and he becomes invincible. 

     If Trump is given the power of a dictator, he will continue irreversibly jeopardizing the future, threatening the lives of immigrants, perpetuating climate change, and destroying relationships with foreign nations.

     When serving as the representative for Massachusetts at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Rufus King argued term limits will hold a president accountable enough, so every four years, “he would periodically be tried for his behaviour by his electors.” 

     Elections are our most important form of checks and balances for officials, but can we trust them anymore? 

     We may never know the extent of Russian involvement in the 2016 election, but the safest way to prevent interference is by not letting Trump run and punishing him for putting the fairness of the election in jeopardy. 

     As Elbridge Gerry, another representative from Massachusetts, responded to King, “A good magistrate will not fear [impeachments]. A bad one ought to be kept in fear of them.”