COLUMBUS, Ohio — What happened on Wednesday is something we’ll remember for many years to come.
There are still so many questions, the biggest, surrounding the future of President Donald Trump
David Stebenne, who is a History and Law professor at The Ohio State University, said seeing the events happen took him aback.
“This is unprecedented, we’ve never seen anything like this before. It showed a failure to prepare for that possibility,” said Stebenne.
By now, you’ve heard senators and some in Washington D.C. urging the removal of the president by impeachment or the 25th amendment.
What do those terms mean and how are they used in law?
Stebenne said the 25th amendment dates to the 1960s. It’s was used if a president is unable to do their job. The Vice President and the Cabinet would vote on the removal of the president.
If Trump were to be removed from office, Vice President Mike Pence would become president.
The term impeachment is more severe, and it’s used for criminal offenses.
This concept was approved in the late 1700s. President Trump was impeached last year but was acquitted by the Senate.
“Those are the only two mechanisms really to remove a president so that’s why they’re both being discussed today. It would diminish the power of the president if he or she could be removed for showing really bad judgment,” said Stebenne.
As a teacher, Stebenne said he doesn’t know how he’s going to teach this moment in history just yet. But he knows, the images and videos that are spread across the world, will stay in the minds of many.
“It’s not the only thing people will think about when they think about the Trump Presidency, but it is on that short list of things that people will really remember,” said Stebenne.
Inauguration day is less than two weeks away. Stebenne said using these tools right now wouldn’t be very effective and would take too long.