“There are many aspects of American life the framers of the Constitution could not have foreseen; cars, smartphones, a population of over 300 million people, but they did foresee that the greatest threat to the Constitution and our democracy would be foreign influence in our elections and a President who would corruptly use the powers of the office for his own benefit. 

“The framers warned us that a President who is “unprincipled in private life, desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper…despotic in his ordinary demeanor” would be the type of President that would necessitate impeachment to protect the democracy. They stated that abuse of power was an impeachable offense because it subverts the will and trust of the American people. They feared foreign interference because it would influence our democracy and separate Americans from their ability to self-govern. 

“Donald John Trump is the embodiment of these fears. The facts behind the articles of impeachment are simple and uncontested; he tried to extort a foreign government into investigating a political rival and he has engaged in a massive cover up. Trump has admitted it and has said he would do it all over again. His top aide told us “to get over it.”

“If we do not stand for the rule of law, we will no longer have a democracy.

“These are challenging times for our country, but despite that, I remain optimistic that if we stand for truth, we can continue to strive to be a just America. As I tell my children, you have to do what is right, even when it’s hard. My vote today is based on protecting our democracy and my commitment to an America that is of, for and by the people."