The Atlantic calls for Trump impeachment in new cover story

The new issue of The Atlantic features a striking call for President Trump’s impeachment on its cover.

The cover story of the March issue was published online Thursday, along with an image of the magazine, which reads “IMPEACH” in large, red letters.

“It’s time for Congress to judge the president’s fitness to serve,” the subhead reads. 

The cover of the new issue of @TheAtlantic pic.twitter.com/TayiwAdHSi

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 17, 2019

Atlantic senior editor Yoni Appelbaum pens the cover story, in which he argues that Congress can “rein in a president who is undermining American ideals” by starting the impeachment process, taking control of the fitness-for-office debate. 

Congressional Democrats have so far largely quashed calls for impeachment, saying the move would be premature and viewed as partisan overreach. 

{mosads}“If there’s to be grounds for impeachment of President Trump — and I’m not seeking those grounds — that would have to be so clearly bipartisan in terms of acceptance of it before I think we should go down any impeachment path,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said earlier this month.

In The Atlantic piece, which is printed with the headline “The Case for Impeachment,” Appelbaum writes that Trump has “repeatedly trampled” on the Constitution, with his policies, approaches to the investigations that surround his administration and attacks on political opponents. 

“These actions are, in sum, an attack on the very foundations of America’s constitutional democracy,” he writes.

Appelbaum says that beginning the impeachment process is a way for Congress to take control of the allegations that Trump has committed offenses that may rise to the level of grounds for removal from office.

“With a newly seated Democratic majority, the House of Representatives can no longer dodge its constitutional duty,” Appelbaum writes. “It must immediately open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump, and bring the debate out of the court of public opinion and into Congress, where it belongs.”

Despite a lack of support on Capitol Hill, outside calls for Trump’s impeachment have persisted. Billionaire Democratic mega-donor Tom Steyer has led a multimillion dollar impeachment campaign that has included a number of television advertisements pushing for the move.

Steyer announced earlier this month that he would not seek the presidency in 2020, and will instead pour an additional $40 million into his efforts this year.