On the eve of the scheduled vote in Congress to impeach President Donald Trump, an estimated 250 to 300 people rallied in downtown Arlington Heights Tuesday in support of removing him from office.
Event organizer Erika Burch, of Mount Prospect, said she initially tried to give Trump a chance when he was first elected, but eventually became disappointed.
“I didn’t vote for him, but I started off optimistic once he was in office and as time went on, I couldn’t support it,” she said at the rally Tuesday, referring to Trump’s policies and actions.
The demonstration was one of many across Chicagoland and the country held ahead of the expected House vote Wednesday on two articles of impeachment, which accuse Trump of abuse of power and obstructing Congress.
Democrats allege that Trump wrongfully withheld aid from Ukraine that Congress had already approved being disbursed to the eastern European country in exchange for an investigation into his political rivals in the upcoming 2020 election. Trump is running for reelection.
Additionally, Democrats, who control the House, say that the president obstructed Congress because he tried to prohibit federal officials from complying with requests and subpoenas to testify and provide evidence as part of Congressional investigations.
“He’s shown no respect for the rule of law and order and constitutional norms and separation of powers, so that’s why I’m against him,” said Arlington Heights resident as he waved an American flag at the rally.
Many of those demonstrating Tuesday said that Trump’s actions regarding Ukraine were a threat to national security.
“We need to save our democracy basically,” said Joyce Slavik, of Palatine. “I wish the Senate would actually do their job and actually hold a fair trial.”
Several demonstrators said they thought Trump’s offenses were greater and more serious than past presidents who faced impeachment such as Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.
“At least Nixon respected the Constitution. He didn’t prevent his staff members from testifying,” said Easley.
Only two presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. Richard Nixon chose to resign instead.
Trump has said his call earlier this year with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky – which is at the center of the congressional probe and now the charges leading to the impeachment vote – was “perfect” and did not intimate the quid pro quo Democrats allege.
The president has mocked the articles of impeachment as weak, and Republicans have pledged to side with their party leader. Though the House is expected to vote for impeachment, the Republican-led Senate that would preside over a trial is not likely to boot Trump out of office.
On the same day as the pro-impeachment rallies and the eve of the House vote, Trump sent a six-page letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“You are the ones bringing pain and suffering to our Republic for your own selfish, personal political and partisan gain,” he wrote.
Diane Sloan, of Schaumburg, who was wearing a Lady Liberty hat while holding a sign that read “Trump is a Russian agent” during Tuesday’s demonstration, described the president as “worse than Nixon” and “worse than Clinton.”
“Nobody has ever used the power of the government for their own political purposes to the extent that Trump is doing,” she said.
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Joseph Dawson, a transplant to Arlington Heights from Chicago, believes that Trump deserves to be impeached, because he was not presidential from the very beginning and that he is essentially a businessman with opportunistic intentions.
“He came to office with the intention of profiting his own pockets,” Dawson said.
Both Sloan and David Easley say they fear that if Trump is not removed from office that he has a good chance of being reelected in 2020.
“It’s the structural issues like the electoral college, voter suppression and gerrymandering,” said Easley. “I think all of that increases the likelihood that he’ll get reelected probably.”
Kulsoom Khan is a freelancer.