Editor's Note:
Joe Lockhart is a CNN political analyst.
He was the White House press secretary from 1998 to 2000 during the administration of President Bill Clinton.
He is a co-host of the "Words Matter" podcast.
The opinions expressed in this comment are yours.
See more opinion at cnne.com/opinion.
(CNN) -
Tens of millions of Americans were glued to their televisions, laptops and mobile devices Wednesday as an act of domestic terrorism unfolded live for the whole world to see.
Fear, anger, and disgust were the reactions I heard the most from friends, family, and on social media platforms.
How can Trump be held accountable?
While the anger has not dissipated, another emotion seems to be surfacing: helplessness.
Many Americans are skeptical about the ability of politicians in Washington, particularly Republicans, to hold all terrorists and their supporters accountable.
This impotence is not without foundation.
Time and again over the past four years, the American public has seen President Donald Trump avoid responsibility for his scandalous and immoral behavior.
The Republicans have constantly enabled it, and our judicial system, with the exception of electoral matters, has not been able to thwart its constant stagnation and judicial obstruction.
It fills the American public with skepticism that this time our institutions will deliver.
Two paths in Congress to hold Trump accountable
There are two potential avenues for politicians in Washington to punish the president: invoke the 25th Amendment under the direction of the vice president and cabinet, or impeach Trump a second time and hold a trial in the Senate.
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MIRA: The political future of Trump: a second political trial vs. the 25th Amendment, what impeachment options are there?
It seems unlikely that the first one will occur.
It could require a broader deal: If willing, Vice President Mike Pence could convince both Trump and the Cabinet to remove the president in exchange for a full pardon from President Pence.
It would be a risky move for Pence's future given the negative reception former President Gerald Ford received for pardoning Richard Nixon.
And that kind of treatment depends on Trump's emotional state and whether or not he believes he can forgive himself.
The House is likely to move forward with impeachment this week to hold Trump accountable for actions that terrified us all.
The timing of submitting articles to the Senate is where this gets interesting.
The House can pass articles of impeachment quickly, but the Senate is unlikely to be able to hold a trial before the president's term ends.
Some Democrats worry that trying him in the new Senate, which they are allowed to do, will divert focus from the new President Biden's agenda.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi can hang on to articles of impeachment for as long as she wants.
One scenario would be to keep them until after the first hundred days of the Biden Administration so as not to interfere with covid-19 vaccination efforts, cabinet confirmations, and economic recovery initiatives.
The bottom line is that while there are multiple options, it is still possible that the president could run out of time and once again avoid any legal liability for his actions.
That's where the helplessness of most Americans comes from.
We have seen this movie before and we don't like how it ends.
MIRA: The agenda of Congress in the face of a possible impeachment of Trump
We're not completely helpless: this is how we can hold Trump accountable
The good news for all Americans is that they are not completely helpless to hold Trump accountable for bringing the country to the brink of authoritarianism.
We all have the power to deny you the vast privileges and riches that come with the distinction of being the former president of the United States.
How do we do that?
Here are some ideas to make sure former President Trump feels the pain he has inflicted on our country and takes responsibility for his actions:
If you work in a company, belong to an organization or trade association or an institution of higher education, inform their bosses that you will not tolerate Trump being paid to come to speak at events, conferences or any kind of engagement.
Don't wait until it's booked, let them know ahead of time that it's not welcome.
If you are a conference agency and you accept Trump as a client, understand that his other clients will go elsewhere to be represented.
We all buy books from the major publishers.
Let them know that you will no longer buy their books if they sign a book contract with Trump.
Tell your local officials to stay away from Trump.
That they do not change the name of airports, roads or public buildings;
however, you could exclude toxic waste dumps and landfills from this list.
If they don't listen, vote against them.
Make sure the Trump Organization is not granted any tax breaks for building in their community.
And that there are no land donations for a presidential library.
Let him build it in Mar-a-Lago's smoking room.
No awards or honors from cities, groups or organizations should be given.
There should be no graduation speeches or honorary degrees from colleges and universities.
In fact, following the example of Lehigh University, a degree can be revoked if it has already been awarded.
If you are a writer, make it clear that you will not be working with publishers who do business with Trump.
He should not make the first pitch in the World Series.
There should be no invitation to flip the coin for the Super Bowl or drop the ball at the World Cup.
And at the Olympics, forget it.
Want to take it where it really hurts?
It puts pressure on the governing bodies of golf to sever all ties with it and its golf courses.
At a local club, make sure the professional knows they won't have playing privileges.
If you want to play, you have to own the field or join the hackers in the local public field.
The PGA (which just announced that the 2022 PGA Championship will not be played at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey) could offer you a deal: Privileges will be reinstated after a PGA official follows it for a year to record your actual score and enter it into the handicap system.
If you work in the finance industry, tell your bosses that they should reject any request for funding from the Trump Organization.
If they have debts, tell them to pay them off on January 21.
If you are an investor, tell your broker or bank to just say no to Trump or your money will go away.
LOOK: The PGA cancels plans to play the 2022 championship at Trump's golf course
We can also pressure Congress to take more action.
There is nothing in the Constitution that requires a former president to receive Secret Service protection.
Also, nothing to say that you deserve a million dollars a year for travel and a generous pension and health plan.
And, of course, there should be no right to a state funeral.
Finally, and most importantly, do not show tolerance towards anyone in our judicial system who seeks special protection for crimes committed before, after, or during his presidency.
Trump does not have to be found guilty of sedition to be punished for his behavior.
Look at Al Capone's example: by all accounts, Capone murdered dozens of people but only went to jail for tax evasion.
And law firms seeking to help Trump can and should be boycotted by organizations large and small.
Trump must be held accountable for crimes against the state.
We all have some power to help hold it accountable and we should not hesitate to use it in the future.
Trump ruined the most important job in the world: President of the United States.
Let's make sure he doesn't profit now from the best job in the world: former president of the United States.
And for those who say that this has to do with the culture of cancellation, I say that it is a perfectly legal citizen justice that Donald J. Trump earned.
amendment impeachment