With the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump beginning this afternoon, the George-Anne decided to round up some students and faculty’s thoughts on the impeachment.

“I will be tuning in to mostly know which senators are traitors themselves, who will be voting against his impeachment,” wrote GS student Austin Ponder, “He doesn’t deserve to hold ANY public office after inciting an insurrection against the US government. He also doesn’t deserve the benefits that come with being a former President, which is a waste of tax dollars and personnel to protect him.”

Some respondents had an unfavorable view of the president being impeached after he has already left office.

“[The trial is] utterly ridiculous,” said GS student Austin Hightower, “You can’t remove him anymore, and there’s no legal standing for convicting him.” 

 Some respondents felt that the president should be protected by freedom of speech; others felt the opposite.

“The first amendment does not protect Mr. Trump (or any president) from impeachment,” said James Brawner, a faculty member at GS.

Most respondents’ predictions for the fate of the trial depended on their own assumptions about the way the political parties will vote.

 “I do not think he will be found guilty because Republicans wouldn’t dare,” said student Elijah Thomas.

 A mix of respondents felt that Trump is fully deserving of impeachment.

“He didn’t cause all of those people to be idiots,” wrote one GS student, “What about all of the other riots that went on in this country last year? Who was to blame then?” 

The second impeachment trial of President Donald Trump has sown some divisions between not only the country but among the Georgia Southern community, and only time will tell if it will continue to do so.

You can watch the impeachment trial being broadcasted by many several news networks like CNN and CBS or being streamed for free by NPR.