Counter to claims by certain lawmakers, this impeachment may actually affirm the will of the American people in the last election. I disagree with objections to this impeachment as something that would reprehensibly “overturn the will of the American people” as demonstrated in the last presidential election.

Firstly, the function of impeachment does by definition overturn the results of an election. Nothing to be taken aback about there.

Secondly, according to the popular vote, the will of the American people was that Hillary Clinton would become president. Nearly 3 million more people voted for Clinton than voted for Donald Trump. It seems that the will of the American people in November 2016 was overturned by our system of the Electoral College.

I accept that is the system in place for now. Still, it negates the argument about impeachment overturning the will of the American people in the last election for president.

Thirdly, it is an accepted fact by our national intelligence agencies and the intelligence committees in Congress that the will of the American people in the last election was significantly influenced by deceptive social media tactics perpetrated by foreign actors, notably Russia, and that this tampering is ongoing. If these lawmakers are concerned with upholding the will of the American people, why have they been so negligent about combating election interference?

Let’s hope that the will of the majority of American people prevails in this impeachment trial and in our next election, as our Founding Fathers intended.

Laura Lander

Harpswell

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