Thousands of pages of transcripts. Dozens of televised testimonies. One guilty president.

On Sept. 24, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced an official impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. In the months since then, the whirlwind of ongoing testimonies in Congress, the President’s daily onslaught of livid Tweets and the blaring headlines that declare everything from Democratic conspiracies to Republican coverups have shot the nation into an absolute frenzy. With the prospect of America’s third ever presidential impeachment looming ahead, the political stakes in the U.S.—as well as the tensions—are higher than ever before.

In light of this, we feel the need to present our stance on the matter. Regardless of our individual political affiliations, we firmly support Trump’s impeachment on the basis of three simple concepts: conclusive evidence, irreversible precedents and exploited democracy. 

First things first: facts are facts. While party loyalties, political motivations and public opinions may conflict, certifiable evidence holds irrefutable power, and at this point in the investigation, there is more than enough evidence to justify impeachment. Spanning everywhere from political investigations for personal gain to military aid withheld from Ukraine, the evidence is stacked against Trump, and it’s time to knock him down. 

Secondly, the threat that this scandal has created for the nation does not play favorites with Democrats or Republicans. By allowing President Trump to remain in office unimpeached, all Americans—regardless of political party—are setting a precedent that allows our leaders to embrace corruption. If Trump walks away from this unchecked, we will be left with a future of presidents that are not held accountable for their actions. 

Lastly, by pushing the Ukranian government to launch a political investigation into the Bidens, Donald Trump has betrayed the very foundation of democracy. Not only has he involved another government in our democratic process, but he has done so entirely for his personal gain. If nothing else, understand that Donald Trump does not sit in the Oval Office to benefit the American people—Donald Trump sits in the Oval Office to benefit Donald Trump. In refusing to impeach him, we would be allowing democracy itself to be abused. 

At the time of this publication, there’s no telling where the impeachment process will lead. Maybe Trump will be impeached. Or maybe not. Or maybe he will even be reelected for a second term. Regardless, the opinion of this editorial board stands that no president should be given the opportunity that Trump has had to violate the essence of democracy without repercussions.