As the 2000s come to an end and the page turns to 2020, the world begins to face various new challenges and changes as it starts the new decade. In the U.S., Americans are in the middle of a significant moment currently affecting the government. At this time, President Trump’s impeachment case has been moved to the Senate. While the outcome of the Senate at this time is unknown, it does not change the fact that this is still a pivotal event, as Trump becomes the third U.S. president to be impeached. 

The impeachment of the president is not a common occurrence for the U.S. government, much less for U.S. citizens. To be impeached means that the president would have to stand before Congress to address offenses they feel the president committed. Most people would like to think that the leader of their nation would abide by the law as everyone else does, so the idea of the president getting impeached created quite a stir among the people.

The impeachment inquiry sparked plenty of public debate among the people, with mixed and tense feelings being involved. With such an important event happening, it seems like everyone has talked about the impeachment at one point in time. Even students in schools. 

Senior Caleb Clukey says that he used to talk about the impeachment inquiry, but not as often in recent times. 

“As of right now, not as much as I used to. Like I said earlier, the hype for it kind of died down. The following for it kind of died down because there’s obviously a lot more current events than there was earlier,” Clukey explained, as more pressing issues dim the coverage of the inquiry. “Usually in my government class, we brought it up in the current events and we talked about it pretty much and I also talked about it with a few of my peers about the process and what I currently believed compared to what they currently believed. “  

Clukey used to see conversation of the inquiry on social media, but the conversation has become less apparent.

“I know a little while ago it was trending like say on Twitter, but as of right now I saw it died down a little bit because there’s been more things in the news and the media that kind of overtook that. So I would say, like, just  not as much as I used to, like, say, a couple of weeks ago when it first started coming out.” 

Despite not seeing much about it on social media, Clukey says that there is someone in his life that discusses the topic frequently. 

“Right now I’m doing an internship within the Republican Party for a candidate, and my campaign advisor, a.k.a my mentor, he talks about it a pretty good amount. So pretty much like, more or less, once or twice a week when I meet with him, out of those times that’s probably half, like, half the time he might bring it up with the process about all of it.”  

As an intern for the Republican Party, the topic of the impeachment comes up often in Clukey’s life.

“Currently with my internship, I have to go door to door raising support for my candidate that I’m running with and a lot of people usually bring that up because when we go up to the doors, we don’t really know their political views or which party they side with or if they’re neutral, and a lot of people do bring that up when you’re trying to go raise support even for a local candidate. So, I would say it does affect my life a pretty good amount.” 

Eben Bracy, who is also a senior, used to talk about the inquiry, “often, but not as much as he used to when it was happening at the start.”

Bracy avoids looking at the issue on social media, preferring to watch coverage of the process on the news. 

“I feel like if I look for stuff online about it, I’ll get a lot of polarizing opinions,” Bracy said. 

Although Bracy avoids conversation of the inquiry on the news, he still talks about it with people in his life. 

“Me and my brother talk about it every so often. Not all the time, but, it comes up.”

Overall, Bracy feels like the situation doesn’t affect his life, but will have an effect on the political atmosphere of America.

“You have different groups within the Republican party that feel a certain loyalty towards Trump, and other ones that want to go by their morals. And then you have the Democrats mostly dog-piling onto Trump,” said Bracy.  “It can’t really be an individualist decision… It’s just mob mentality.”

Clukey also feels that the impeachment has also changed the political atmosphere.

“Especially in Virginia, all the seats are changing to Democrat, so I feel like the Democrats are kinda trying to take over, and I don’t know if it’s like a bad way to view it that way, but most of this impeachment stuff is being ran by the Democrats.”

Along with this, both students feel that the inquiry will affect the upcoming presidential election.

“This current election, there is a good amount of Democrats running, and I know Trump, if not [removed from office], will get, pretty much, the Republican vote,” said Clukey on the impact of the inquiry on the election. “So, I feel like if he is [removed from office], then most definitely I feel like a Democratic president will win, but if not, I feel like Donald Trump will stay in office.” 

“I think it’ll make future presidents more careful in dealing with foreign countries, especially that have to do with their own personal gain and/or political advantages they could gain by dealing with foreign nations,” Bracy speculated. “I think there’s going to be more of a shift in focusing on domestic policy and things like that moving forward.”

Despite the conversation not being as prevalent as it once was, the inquiry continues to impact students’ daily lives as citizens wait for the Senate’s final outcome in the impeachment trial.