This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
On September 26, 2019, a significant moment in American history unfolded as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the launch of an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
The inquiry, which will seemingly not change the investigation already underway in House committees, has supercharged the efforts to hold Trump accountable and move the effort to a higher plain.
As James Madison argued during the Constitutional Convention, the impeachment process is a necessary tool to defend the community against the incapacity, negligence, or perfidy of the Chief Magistrate.
Madison's concerns, which seem prescient in the context of Trump's presidency, highlight the importance of holding the president accountable for his actions.
Trump's attempts to coerce the president of Ukraine to provide investigative help to damage a potential political opponent, Joe Biden, are a clear and brazen example of the president's contempt for the rule of law and the Constitution.
As Pelosi stated,
