Could Republicans Expunge Trumps Impeachment?

caption id=attachment_23638 align=aligncenter width=500 Donald Trump speaks at the First in the Nation Leadership Summit in Nashua NH on April 18 2015; Shutterstock ID 283689917; Purchase Order: ccg/caption They should because it was a hoax" the president responded to a journalists question about undoing his impeachment. It was a total political hoax." Some Republicans want to reverse President Trumps impeachment. The Senate acquitted him but that doesnt change the fact that hed been charged with two high crimes and misdemeanors." If the GOP takes back the House congressmen could introduce a resolution to expunge the impeachment. Not surprisingly Trump would like them to do this. Also not surprisingly Nancy Pelosi doesnt. She declared Whatever happens he has been impeached forever."

Things Have Changed

Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) says that things have changed since the impeachment proceedings. The country has found out about Rep. Adam Schiffs improper contact with the so-called whistleblower and the effects it had on the Inspector Generals report. He also points out the illegal surveillance of the Trump campaign during the Obama administration. Those throw the legal basis of the impeachment charges into serious doubt he says. GOP Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy points out how partisan it was. This is the fastest weakest most political impeachment in history" he told The New York Post. I dont think it should stay on the books." Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) believes the irony" of the impeachment proceedings is American voters are going to turn the House back to the Republicans. The GOP needs to flip 18 seats to take it back. And GOP congressman Lee Zeldin wants this sham impeachment" removed. What the House Democrats did was absolutely disgusting" he said in a tweet. He wants them gone.

Precedent?

A few of the presidents supporters are pretty adamant about how they see it. Alan Dershowitz a member of Trumps legal team suggested before the trial If he wins this I think nobody should regard him as having been impeached." Of course the Senate acquitted President Clinton after he was impeached and no one in America denies hed been impeached. The closest thing to a precedent is the experience of President Andrew Johnson. The House impeached him as it did Trump. The Senate didnt vote to acquit him however. It didnt vote to convict him either. It voted to censure him. A few years later the Senate voted to remove the censure from the record. But that probably doesnt provide any precedent for expunging Trumps impeachment. And most legal scholars and even some of the presidents supporters dont believe Trump can be un-impeached. Jonathan Turley the left-leaning legal scholar who Republicans called during the House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing said expunging the impeachment would be practically meaningless. Josh Blackman at the South Texas College of Law Houston said I dont think that actually will have any legal effect. Its not like Trump would be unimpeached." James Gardner a law professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo observed Theres nothing in the Constitution that provides for a procedure of expungement." It would merely be politically significant. Even Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) admitted I dont know if there is a real vehicle constitutionally to get that done." Its a nice thought. It would make the president happy. If the GOP wins the House and pulls it off the gesture wont mean anything. Just like the impeachment itself.   Follow Rachel on Twitter at Rach_IC. Follow The Stream at streamdotorg. Send tips to [email protected].