Maryanne Chisholm 🌊 💙 (@maryannechisholm.bsky.social)

Maryanne Chisholm (@maryanneresists) Impeachment Has Been Filed. So Why Is Nothing Happening? Let’s be clear about where we are. Pete Hegseth and RFK Jr. have both had articles of impeachment introduced against them. Yes, members of Trump’s administration have formally been served with impeachment filings. And yes, Donald Trump himself has once again been placed squarely on the chopping block. So the question isn’t whether impeachment has been pursued. It has. The real question is why it didn’t go through — and who needs to answer for that. In the most recent attempt to advance articles of impeachment against Trump, the resolution didn’t fail because the allegations were weak. It failed because it was tabled, quietly set aside before it could move forward. And here’s the part we should all be paying attention to. A significant number of Democrats voted “present.” Not yes. Not no. Just, Present. A “present” vote is not neutral. It is a decision to step aside while the moment passes. It signals discomfort without accountability. And when the stakes are this high, that choice matters. I found myself extremely frustrated with moments like this. If they have a reason to only vote present at this time, they should be sharing it with us. How will we trust our elections again if they just watch while they standby? So what exactly was Trump being charged with? The articles cited, among other things: • Abuse of presidential power • Undermining the separation of powers • Threatening or intimidating members of Congress and the judiciary • Acting outside constitutional authority • Eroding democratic norms in ways that mirror authoritarian governance These are not minor grievances. These are foundational violations. Which raises the uncomfortable but necessary question: How many more reasons need to be listed? How many more norms need to be broken? How much longer is this behavior going to be tolerated because the process feels inconvenient, politically risky, or exhausting? Accountability doesn’t fail because there is no evidence. It fails because enough people decide that now is not the right time. And that is exactly who we need to address. Not just Trump. , and not just his administration. But the elected officials who choose procedural safety over moral clarity. So what can we do? For me, I use a simple but relentless technique to protest: I use Resistbot every single day. I believe this year I’ve signed over 300 petitions. I write my congressional representatives and my senators. I document. I show up. I refuse to let silence be mistaken for consent. Democracy does not defend itself. It requires pressure. Memory. Persistence. If impeachment keeps being introduced but never advanced, the message becomes clear. And it’s on us to make sure that message doesn’t become the new normal. Sign up for Resistbot. It’s free! 👉 Resistbot https://resist.bot/ Visit this site to start writing to your members of Congress and other officials online, or text RESIST to 50409 to get started via SMS. https://substack.com/profile/3927414-maryanne-chisholm/note/c-187117384