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Noah Feldman

Yes, Abuse of Power Is Impeachable

Why else did the framers create the power to impeach?

Things that make the framers go “Hmmm ...” — Things that make the framers go “Hmmm ...”
Photographer: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

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January 30, 2020, 11:00 AM UTC

As Republicans scramble to argue that they don’t need to call witnesses in President Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, one argument seems to be gaining traction: that witnesses are irrelevant, because even if Trump did everything he’s accused of doing, abuse of power is not an impeachable offense.

This argument isn’t merely wrong. It is the single most dangerous argument that any of Trump’s defenders have made during the entire impeachment process. If abuse of power isn’t impeachable, what is?