Maine voters will pay careful attention to President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial. A national post-impeachment poll shows more than 51 percent of voters believe the president has done wrong and should be removed. Coupled with Trump’s longstanding low approval rankings, the numbers are problematic for the president and the Republican Party.

While polls do not ensure a Senate conviction, they should give the Republicans cause for careful reflection.

The nation has been distracted by the USA’s recent assassination of a high-profile Iranian general. As Congress and the press investigated the presidential reasons behind this assassination, it has become increasingly clear that the president and his advisers lied.

This president has a predilection for lying. He surrounds himself with sycophants who attempt to back up his fabrications. The Ukrainian quid pro quo at the root of the impeachment process is awash with administration obfuscation around the truth. “Executive privilege” at this point feels more like the president’s right to lie.

As the Senate, and Sen. Susan Collins, prepare for and process this impeachment trial, greater than 51 percent of Maine voters are watching. We’re watching because we worry about our government, the political divide, national security and the nation’s international future. These things matter to Mainers and all Americans.

We expect a fair trial with witnesses and evidentiary documentation – the only path to the truth. If we have learned anything since November 2016, we’ve learned that. Anything less, anything covered up, is going to be neatly filed for review before votes are cast in November 2020.

Geoffrey Ives

Cornish

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