唐纳德·特朗普总统被众议院弹劾。2020年初参议院发生的事情可能不会让他下台，但这仍然是一个历史性的时刻。如果我们揭开这种情况的政治层面，我们就可以开始理解它的重要性，以及它给美国，是的，共和党带来的危险。
我的共和党同胞面临着一个关键问题:特朗普作为我们党的代言人破坏法治，这让我们受到冒犯了吗？我们的最高官员忽视了宪法，宪法是我们国家的基本和压倒一切的法律文件。宪法争论似乎没有抓住美国公众的把柄。然而，对于我们国家的未来至关重要的是，在法治问题上，我们不能有任何党派的例外。
可弹劾的罪行？阻碍作为政府第三个平等分支的国会，以及滥用权力。众议院民主党本可以提出其他指控——坦率地说，我认为他们没有建立起他们本可以建立的有力的理由。违反薪酬条款只是一个例子。薪酬条款是一项宪法条款，禁止外国对美国官员施加影响。相反，他们选择坚持特朗普最明确、最重要的罪行:滥用他的权力，要求外国政府干涉我们的选举，同时利用国会分配的军事援助作为杠杆，并通过阻止几名第一手证人作证来阻挠国会。
虽然我对民主党上周提出的指控感到失望，但我对我在党内目睹的对宪法保护的矛盾心理感到震惊。尽管民主党人最终在闭幕词中说他们的观点是关于宪法的，但他们应该是关于法治的。除此之外，我还对民主党为了权宜之计让几名第一手证人无视传票的危险先例深感担忧。
唐纳德·特朗普总统于12月18日在华盛顿特区白宫离开椭圆形办公室，前往密歇根州巴特尔克里克参加竞选活动
作为一名越来越不承认我已经加入了50多年的共和党人，我对未来深感担忧。美国人民应该有一个不仅仅代表党派政治的国会。众议院议长南希·佩洛西允许她的核心小组投票选举他们的良心，但是共和党人正在向各个方向施压，以确保队伍不会分裂。想象一下，如果我们允许代表们做他们被选举出来做的事情——代表他们的选民。随着审判走向参议院，我只能恳求我的政党让人们投票选举他们的良心。让他们坚持当选时的誓言，并将再次为这次独特的会议宣誓。
现在我们等待，共和党和民主党紧随其后。考虑到这些罪行，我质疑两党对我们总统颠覆政治权力和权威缺乏关注。许多共和党人可能会反对弹劾，因为这威胁到他们的政党在白宫享有的权力，但有些人可能根深蒂固，无法理解这一威胁的全貌。
这不应该是层层政治。这关系到我们宪法的神圣和安全。当我们党受益时，我们不能遵守忽视法治的先例。无视宪法和阻挠国会的总统是一个巨大的威胁，甚至对他或她所代表的政党也是如此。特朗普指望他的政党在参议院的支持，但他的安全网似乎是我们党的自毁按钮。
克里斯汀·托德·惠特曼是惠特曼战略小组的主席。她曾在乔治·布什总统的内阁中担任环境保护局局长，之前是新泽西州州长。
A PRESIDENT WHO IGNORES THE CONSTITUTION IS A COLOSSAL THREAT—EVEN TO HIS OWN PARTY | OPINION
President Donald Trump has been impeached by the House of Representatives. What happens in the Senate in early 2020 may not remove him from office, but this is nonetheless a historic moment. If we peel back the political layers of this situation, we can begin to understand its significance, as well as the dangers it presents to America and, yes, the Republican Party.
My fellow Republicans face a critical question: Are we affronted by Trump's undermining of the rule of law, as the face of our party? Our highest office holder has ignored the Constitution, our nation's foundational and overriding legal document. It appears true that constitutional arguments do not grip the American public. However, it is critical for the future of our nation that we make no partisan exceptions when it comes to the rule of law.
The impeachable offenses? Obstruction of Congress, which is the third co-equal branch of government, and abuse of power. House Democrats could have presented other charges—and, frankly, I believe they did not build as strong a case as they could have. Violating the Emoluments Clause, a constitutional provision against foreign influence on American office holders, is just one example. Instead, they chose to stick to Trump's clearest, most important offenses: abusing his power by asking a foreign government to interfere in our elections, while using congressionally allocated military aid as leverage, and obstructing Congress by preventing several first-hand witnesses from testifying.
While I am disappointed by the charges that Democrats brought to the floor last week, I am appalled by the ambivalence toward constitutional protections that I have witnessed in my party. Although the Democrats finally got around to saying in their closing speeches that their case was about the Constitution, they should have made it about the rule of law. On top of that failure, I am deeply concerned about the dangerous precedent set when, for the sake of expediency, Democrats let several first-hand witnesses defy a subpoena.
President Donald Trump walks out of the Oval Office prior to his departure for a campaign event in Battle Creek, Michigan, on December 18 at the White House in Washington, D.C.
As a Republican who increasingly doesn't recognize the party of which I have been a member for more than 50 years, I am deeply concerned for the future. The American people deserve a Congress that stands for more than just partisan politics. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi allowed her caucus to vote their conscience, but Republicans were twisting arms in every direction to ensure that the ranks would not break. Imagine if we allowed representatives to do what they were elected to do—represent their constituents. As the trial heads to the Senate, I can only implore my party to let people vote their conscience. Let them uphold the oath they swore when elected and will swear again for this unique session.
Now we wait, as Republicans and Democrats dig in their heels. Considering the offenses, I question the lack of bipartisan concern over our president's subversion of political power and authority. Many Republicans may push against impeachment because it threatens the power their party enjoys with one of their own in the White House, but some heels may be too deeply rooted in the floor to appreciate the big picture of this threat.
This should not be layers on layers of politics. This is about the sanctity and security of our Constitution. We cannot abide by a precedent that ignores the rule of law when our party is benefited. A president who ignores the Constitution and obstructs Congress is a colossal threat, even to the party he or she represents. Trump is counting on the support of his party in the Senate, but his safety net appears to be our party's self-destruct button.
Christine Todd Whitman is president of the Whitman Strategy Group. She served in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and previously was governor of New Jersey.
