To the editor:

The Democrats are determined once again to impeach and convict now-former President Trump. This time the charges are that he incited an insurrection and attempted to overthrow the U.S. government. They have initiated these proceedings, not in an attempt to protect the republic from an internal threat, but in order to protect themselves and their own political power from the only person who poses a threat to that power.

Just what did President Trump do that supposedly incited an insurrection? First, he gathered a large group of people at mall in D.C., something that has been done by others countless times. Then he gave a speech in which he urged his followers to march over to the Capitol to “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.” The overwhelming majority of his followers followed his verbal directions and protested peacefully. Trump did not call for an uprising or an overthrow of the government. To assert otherwise is a fiction.

The main objective in the Democrats’ impeachment is to cement their own political power for the foreseeable future. They realize that President Trump, even at his advanced age, might run for President again in 2024, and that he would have considerable support if he did. The aim of this impeachment is to make the President ineligible to run again. So we should not be deceived into thinking that this impeachment is being undertaken out of patriotism or in order to stave off some grave threat to the country. It is motivated purely by partisanship and the lust for power.

Michael Thom

New Ulm